


My Ex Teen Summer Fling

by DeepDownBelow



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, betty pretending she isn't still whipped for veronica, lots of lesbian shit, oh and there's a few sex scenes that are more detailed than the intro, poor archie though he doesn't realize the history, they are endgame so don't be worried, two summer lovers meet 4 years later and are still totally head over heels for each other, veronica feeling conflicted but totally wants to smash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-02-01 06:55:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12699702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepDownBelow/pseuds/DeepDownBelow
Summary: After first introduction while vacationing at their summer home, Betty and Veronica quickly become the classic "summer lovers." Veronica soon became Betty's first for many things, but following the arrest of Veronica's father Hiram Lodge, Betty had to accept the fact she would never see Veronica again. Years later and with Veronica in the back of her mind, she didn't expect the girl Archie Andrews had been dating to be a girl from her past.ORBetty and Veronica meet again after 4 years, but Archie is dating Veronica and the two have to pretend like they totally aren't still head over heels in love with each other for Archie's sake.





	1. Prologue

The first time that Betty Cooper laid her eyes on Veronica Lodge was on July 12th, 2017 in Lake George, NY. Betty was just finishing off her growth spurt, her longer legs were no longer disproportionate to the rest of her body. She turned the boring age of 15 a few months ago, but felt much older than the age nonetheless. After the summer, she’d be starting her sophomore year at Riverdale High.

Veronica looked like she never had an awkward phase in her life, as if she skipped it all together and completed puberty overnight. That was one of the first things that Betty thought when she first looked at her on that July 12th. Veronica knew Kevin, who knew Betty. Kevin and Betty went to high school together, and it was Kevin’s parents who suggested to Betty’s that they vacation in Lake George.

Veronica took immediate interest in Betty, who stood awkwardly a little behind Kevin as he talked to Veronica. Betty was surprised when Veronica introduced herself to her. Veronica seemed like she was in another realm of class and elegance than Betty. She sat on her beach chair by the lake’s shore, lounging in a red polka-dot bikini like she owned the entire lake herself.

In the spam of less than a minute, Veronica lost interest in she and Betty’s mutual friend Kevin, and turned all her attention on Betty.

“Are you new here?” she pried, lifting the expensive sunglasses off her face so that she could see Betty properly. “I don’t recognize you, and you’re definitely someone I would recognize.”

Betty could tell it made Kevin feel awkward, as he had been totally excluded from the conversation. Veronica paid him no attention, she wanted to talk to Betty only.

“My parents are having a party on Friday at our house, you both should come,” Veronica mentioned. “Bring your family, or just yourselves.”

“We’ll be there,” Kevin smiled, giving his best effort to sound like he wasn’t offended that Veronica barely even said hi to him before latching onto Betty.

 --

Betty went to Veronica’s house that Friday with her parents, as well as Kevin and his parents. Veronica was nowhere to be seen when they entered the large lake house. According to Kevin, it was the Lodge’s summer home. They were loaded with so much money, they didn’t know what to do with it. Betty wasn’t surprised, Veronica looked like she had walked right out of a Vogue catalog sitting in her beach chair.

Betty didn’t see Veronica for most of the night, instead she sat outside on the deck with Kevin. They munched on the small appetizers and drank sweet bubbly soda by the can. Although it was July, the air was becoming cooler with each passing minute. Betty shivered in the wooden chair she was relaxed in, and got up to use the bathroom.

She walked right into Veronica while trying to walk back into her spacious lake house. Veronica was holding a can of Dr. Pepper, her damp hair over her left shoulder. Betty fumbled on her words, surprised to see Veronica in just a bikini top and shorts yet again.

“You came!” Veronica exclaimed happily, hugging Betty around the neck. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Oh my god, you are freezing.”

She was pulled off to Veronica’s room in search of a sweatshirt to wear less than a minute later. Veronica told Betty to sit down on her bed as she searched for one, and tossed Betty a burgundy crew neck from a drawer. Veronica slipped on a black sweatshirt herself, covering her purple bikini top.

“Horace Mann School?” Betty asked, as she pulled on the sweatshirt. It felt cozy and smelt like it had been washed in a concoction of honey and cinnamon.

“Mhmm,” Veronica nodded, and sat down next to Betty on her bed. “It’s a school in the Bronx.”

“Oh, you’re from New York City,” Betty said, unsurprised.

“I’ve always lived there. I don’t know who I would be if I wasn’t living in the city,” Veronica said, and laid down on her bed. “Sometimes even being at the lake house makes me miss the city.”

Betty followed suit and they fell into easy conversation, forgetting about Kevin and everyone who was on the lower level. He was probably wondering where she was, but Betty was lying next to Veronica and they were talking about phases of the moon. She didn’t feel like getting up any time soon. At one point Veronica asked her where she lived, but Betty’s hometown of Riverdale wasn’t exactly well-known.

“Oh, just in Rockland county,” Betty said, waving her off.

Betty doesn’t know how it happened, but ten minutes later Veronica Lodge of New York City is kissing her on her bed. The Veronica Lodge who has never had to do her own laundry or go grocery shopping, who somehow became interested in small-town girl Betty Cooper. The thought was mind boggling and made Betty’s head spin, or maybe it was the way Veronica’s tongue swirled in her mouth. Veronica kissed her with such gentleness, yet was firm and hungry. She cupped Betty’s face behind her ear, and nipped at her bottom lip. Betty tried to keep up, but it was clear Veronica knew what she was doing. Betty did not, in fact this was her first kiss. But, she wasn’t about to tell Veronica that and have her potentially laugh in her face.

“Ronnie, are you in there?”

Veronica and Betty jumped away from each other the second they heard the knock on the door. Their lips disconnected with an audible smooching noise, leaving Betty unable to formulate words. She could feel that her lips had gotten slightly puffy and chapped, the same thing was evident on Veronica’s.

“Yes mom, I’m just changing,” Veronica called back, keeping close to the blonde next to her. She moved to place her head on Betty’s shoulder, her lips resting right at the edge of it. “Will I see you again soon?”

Betty looked at Veronica with her lips on her shoulder, she didn’t want to tell her the truth. But, she couldn’t change when her family was going home.

“I’m actually going back home tomorrow,” Betty said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Veronica looked up at her, and Betty could see a sadness in her dark brown eyes. “I guess I’ll see you next summer. You better come back for me, Betty Cooper.”

 --

Betty’s dad decided he liked going up to Lake George so much that he rented the same lake house they stayed in the previous year for two weeks once again. Betty had to hide how excited she was, the prospect of seeing New York City native Veronica Lodge made her stomach twist.

The first night she’s back in Lake George, she and Kevin went to the arcade. A few friends that she had met the previous year joined too, and they quickly form a bet on who can get the most tickets with $20 to spend each. They were all crowded around a game where you have to time a large bouncy ball into the jackpot hole when Betty saw her.

She was with two girls at the ski ball lanes, rolling the dark colored balls with focus and expertise. The first thing Betty noticed about Veronica was that her shorts end right after the curve of her behind, and are tight on her thighs. She looks curvier from where Betty stands, and her 16-year-old hormones kick in. Something caused Veronica to look in her direction, and she looks right back at Betty. She doesn’t acknowledge Betty, instead she turns to her friends with the tickets she’s just won.

Betty’s heart falters, wondering if Veronica regreted what they did in her room last summer. She almost turns back to her friends when she sees Veronica point towards the coin machine, pushing her friends to go and play other games. Once they’re out of sight, she looked back at Betty again. There was something in the way she looked at Betty that made heat rush to her core, maybe it’s the side-eye.

She barely registered that Veronica was walking out the door of the arcade, looking back at her to follow. Betty has to jog to keep up with her, mumbling to her friends that she’s going to go and try to win a teddy bear at the claw machine.

Betty trailed twenty feet behind Veronica as they walked the busy main street, passing the wax museum and other tourist shops. Betty’s mind was swirling, excited to see the girl who had stolen her first kiss. She looked older, her cheek bones were more prominent. It seemed like they played the follow game for ages, until Veronica turned a corner and walked down a dimly lit side street. There was no one on the street, and now Veronica was nowhere in sight.

Betty began to walk quickly down the dark side street to try to keep up, but was pulled behind a building within seconds. She let out a yelp of surprise, before turning to look at her captor. It was none other than Veronica, dark eyes looking up at her with hunger. She had a wide smile beaming on her face.

They met halfway in a hungry kiss, without exchanging a word. Veronica’s arms wrapped around Betty’s neck, and pulled her as close as she can get to her. Betty had no choice but to put her hands on Veronica’s hips, gripping tightly in case Veronica was pulled away from her. They kissed feverously, as if making up for the past year they hadn’t seen each other. Betty missed this, even though she had only experienced it with Veronica once.

“Mmm. You taste like cotton candy,” Veronica hummed, breaking the kiss after what felt like decades. She rested her forehead on Betty’s, and brushed their noses together. 

“Well, I just had some,” Betty smiled, reaching up to stroke Veronica’s cheek.

“How long of the summer do I have you for?” Veronica asked, playing with the baby hairs on the back of Betty’s neck.

“Two weeks,” Betty said, almost wanting to say that two weeks would not be enough.

“What a blessing. You’re mine for the two weeks,” Veronica giggled, leaning back in to kiss Betty.

 --

Betty and Veronica spent the entirety of Betty’s two weeks at Lake George together. What consisted of going to the fireworks, lounging at the beach, trips to get ice cream, and making out whenever they had a chance had become normal. Betty loved every second of it, her stomach twisted and flopped every time she and Veronica kissed. Veronica always linked their arms, practically stealing Betty away from Kevin. Kevin went along with it because no one in Lake George tried to reclaim what Veronica would take. He was clearly disgruntled by this, since whenever he and Betty did something, Veronica always tagged along. Betty knew she should’ve felt more guilt, but she saw Kevin all the time at school. She wouldn’t see Veronica for another year after the two weeks.

To avoid Kevin and anyone else who would try to tag along, Veronica and Betty spent Betty’s last day at Veronica’s house. They decided to jump off the dock and swim in the lake, under the watchful eye of Veronica’s mother. She sat on a lounge chair at the top of the yard, but could still see them from where she sat. They kept things platonic, as they didn’t want to get caught by her mom until Veronica unexpectedly pulled her behind the dock and away from her mother’s eyes.

Veronica’s arms were immediately around Betty’s neck, and they continued to stay afloat somehow.

“You’ve made my summer’s so much better once you showed up Betty,” Veronica admitted, kissing the lake water off of Betty’s lips. “I wish you could stay in my life for the whole year.”

Betty smiled, and pushed the wet hair away from Veronica’s face and tucked it behind her ear. “You know, I counted down the days until I came back here.”

“Because you like kissing me?” Veronica said, giving her a sly look.

“Because you’re bold and determined. It’s something that I could never do. But yes, that too,” Betty smiled, feeling her cheeks get red.

“Of course, you can. Betty Cooper, you can get anything you want!” Veronica gasped, stroking Betty’s cheek with her thumb. “You know I thought about you the whole summer once you left and the entirety of the other three seasons. I think you’d like New York City.”

“Maybe I will…maybe I’ll go to college there,” Betty suggested, it was the first time she had seriously considered going there.

Veronica beamed and leaned back in to kiss her. Mumbling between each one, “My parents are going to a party tonight…I’m going to pretend I feel ill…I want you to come over.”

 --

Betty’s last night felt bittersweet. For one, she was spending it in Veronica’s bedroom with a large pizza on the bedspread. But, she was also leaving the next morning. Veronica was next to her, pouring two glasses of wine. Betty had never had a sip of alcohol before other than champagne, and she voiced it immediately to Veronica. Veronica poured her a small glass, and said her parents wouldn’t notice that it was gone.

“Betty, you don’t have to drink a single drop if you don’t want to,” Veronica said, putting the glasses on her nightstand. “I just thought this was fitting since you’re leaving tomorrow.”

Betty tried it though, and sipped the red liquid slowly. They ate the pizza and sipped the wine while watching movies like it’s the most elegant thing anyone has ever done. Veronica always made things elegant. The two talked aimlessly about what they wanted to do after high school, Veronica had a whole plan. She was going to go to Parson’s School of Design in Manhattan and hopefully have a label as famous as Gucci one day. She’d even find a way to send Betty exclusives of her clothes, so she could wear the most expensive clothes out there for free. Betty laughed, and told Veronica she wanted to do journalism, but had no clue where she wanted to go.

“You can go to Columbia…or NYU! They have great communications programs,” Veronica suggested, biting off a piece of crust.

Betty sighed, “I’ll try, but I don’t know if I’d be able to get in.”

“Oh shush, I know you get straight A’s in school. You gave me that impression right away, that and you’re a dime in itself,” Veronica said, so casually as if she mentioned what the weather was outside. She put her glass forward and leaned forward to cup Betty’s cheek. It became evident to Betty that she liked to do this. Betty didn’t mind. “You really can do anything that you want. People can’t say no to someone like you. You are girl next door cute, but I can tell you definitely have a sexy side that’s hidden under there. Now tell me, what do you want to do, Betty Cooper?”

 _Kiss you,_ Betty thought. So, she did.

She kissed Veronica so firmly and harshly that Veronica fell back onto the bed. Betty quickly climbed on top of her, taking charge of Veronica quickly. They kissed for what felt like ages, but the wine is making Betty feel daring. Normally, she would restrain herself from trying anything, but here she is sliding her hands up Veronica’s hips underneath her shirt.

Veronica always liked being on top, and wouldn’t let girl next door Betty Cooper top her on her own bed. She flipped them and found herself straddling Betty. Betty’s hands were still rested on Veronica’s hips. Veronica took the initiative to discard her own shirt, leaving her in a deep red bra in front of Betty.

Betty stared at her with blown pupils and a shocked expression on her face, but Veronica could see how hungrily she looked at her. It spurred her on, and she dove for Betty’s flawless neck. She nipped, kissed, licked a stripe up to her ear. Betty moaned in response, which only spurred on Veronica more.

“Have you ever done this?” Veronica asked, after leaving a probable mark behind Betty’s ear.

“No…” Betty gasped, looking up at Veronica. “Have you?”

Veronica shook her head, which made Betty’s heart beat faster. “No, but I want you to be my first.”

So that’s what they became. Not only did Veronica steal her first kiss, but she stole Betty’s virginity too. And Betty was completely ok with it. Having sex with Veronica Lodge was the best thing that Betty had ever experienced in her life. It was nipping at each other’s bare skin, undressing the other with anticipation, and panting into each other’s mouths as a thin layer of sweat covered their bodies.

They barely had time to dress before they fell asleep in each other’s arms, but Betty had to be up early to go. They didn’t exchange numbers per Veronica’s request, as “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  Betty went along with it, though she was hoping she’d be able to text Veronica constantly for the rest of the time they’d be away. Veronica was adamant though, as if she wanted their time together to be a summer love she could come back to every year.

 --

The next summer, the first thing Betty did was bike to Veronica’s house. She had waited impatiently in the car trip up, excited to see what 17-year-old Veronica looked like now. The bike ride was a little over a mile, but Betty made it to Veronica’s street in less than fifteen minutes.

To her surprise and shock, outside the Lodge’s summer home was a real estate sign. Above it in large letters said “SOLD,” causing Betty to stop in her tracks. Veronica was _gone?_ Her family had sold the lake house, did they decide they didn’t want to come to Lake George anymore?

“Kevin, where did the Lodge’s go?” Betty asked, calling Kevin immediately.

“Didn’t you hear, Betts?” he asked, and she could hear his frown. “They put the lake house up for sale in the spring. I think someone just bought it. Apparently, her father is in jail for fraud and embezzlement. It’s crazy.”

Sure enough, Betty found countless articles on the fraud named Hiram Lodge. They sold all of their property, and Veronica and her mother fled to New Jersey. Betty felt her heart drop after reading the articles, she knew Veronica would be out of her element in New Jersey. She couldn’t live without New York City.

Betty had to learn to accept that she’d never see Veronica Lodge again, there was no way she’d be coming back to Lake George. That was the end of she and Veronica’s teen summer fling, and the last time she ever saw Veronica.

Or so she thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know if i should continue this or if it's a load of shit. the chapters will be more detailed, the intro is a bit scarce with detail because it's just for background info about their past. the real story begins in the next chapter, which i've written. let me know if you'd like to see more :)


	2. One

Betty Cooper at twenty-years-old was a stark difference than her young teenage self, in many ways. She was still on the shy side, preferred small groups to large crowds, and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear when she was nervous. But now, Betty let her hair down a bit more. Quite literally. It was a rarity for Betty to have her hair up in the tight perfect ponytail she used to sport religiously in high school, instead opting to let her waves of blonde hair hang loosely over her shoulder. Living in New York City changed her, and so did its people. She learned how to cut crease her eyeshadow, sipped Thai iced tea, and dressed in muter colors. Her high school frenemy Cheryl Blossom no longer called her frigid and a prude, despite the fact Betty was pretty sure she had lost her virginity before Cheryl even got to third base. Betty had become Elizabeth Cooper, junior and promising journalist who went to prestigious, private, and totally low-acceptance rate Columbia University. But she still went by Betty, of course.

Betty was known for writing hard-hitting and informative articles for the school’s weekly newspaper, bringing issues up ranging from sexualizing women in music videos to the nearly extinct northern white rhino. But, the due date of her newest article was looming nearer and she had no ideas for her newest piece. She was a perfectionist, and liked to always produce work she was proud of. There was no way she was about to produce a half-assed article that she barely put any thought into, but the deadline was in two days.

Her favorite off-campus coffee house always brought inspiration to Betty, but even that was no avail. Her maple latte was now lukewarm, as she was more focused with chewing on her bottom lip and staring at her blank Word document than drinking her favorite caffeinated drink. The coffee house was warm and cozy, a large contrast to the chilly November day outside. Orange and red leaves from the maple tree outside the coffee shop floated to the ground with every gust of wind, which had caught Betty’s attention for over five minutes. The large roots of the maple tree had uprooted the concrete slabs of the sidewalk as it grew, and Betty strongly considered writing her article about trees and the fact they give zero fucks for man-made obstacles while they grew.

**Archie: Hey Betty! I’m going to be in NYC this weekend and wanted to meet up with you for dinner :) let me know if you’re going to be free**

She picked her phone up from the table the second she read Archie’s name, opening the message with eagerness. She sighed as she read his message, Archie Andrews. They went to the same high school together and lived relatively close to each other back in Riverdale. They had always been best friends, and Betty was grateful that it continued on to their college life. Archie had always been a bit of a heart-throb while in high school. He could sing and he was good at football, naturally that was enough for the majority of the female population to swoon. Although she used to scoff at her classmates’ interest in Archie, she found herself still a bit taken by the red-haired teen.

He always had a caring side for Betty, and went out of his way numerous times in order to make her day better. She had a school girl crush on him yes, but that was about as far as her feelings went for him. Nothing ever came from her attraction to him, which was probably better anyway. Archie was completely clueless to subtle hints and could be as boring as some of her lectures. But, not boring in the way that his personality was boring…but boring in the way that she had already met about ten other guys while in college who were just like Archie. He was what she considered a “cookie-cutter dream boy.” He went to college in Boston, deciding to major in business so that he could take over his dad’s construction business. In their junior year, he was determined to either get a scholarship and play football, or go to Berkley School of Music. It wasn’t until college applications rolled around that he looked at his future more practically.

**Betty: Yeah! I’ll be free, where are you staying? You could’ve crashed at mine!**

**Archie: I’m actually visiting a girl I’ve been seeing for a few weeks. She lives in NYC, and I’m coming to visit for the weekend :)**

She wasn’t surprised. There wasn’t a time where Archie was single for long, further proving to herself that nothing would ever come from she and Archie’s friendship. They kissed once the summer before their freshmen year of college and Betty had only kissed one person before Archie. Kissing him felt like faulty fireworks that failed to go off. There were both drunk, and they only kissed because of spin the bottle… but weren’t you supposed to feel something when you kissed someone you even had small feelings for? She took that moment as a sign that they were better off as friends, because she was not about to date someone who made her feel absolutely nothing when she spent a summer kissing someone who made her heart race.

Since kissing Archie, Betty had only casually dated a few people here and there. It was never anything serious, and sometimes Betty late at night blamed the lack of closure she got from her first love. What was she thinking? Betty was currently in a relationship anyway, she shouldn’t even be considering her previous “lovers.” Her current boyfriend of two months was Jughead Jones, but even though they were exclusive and introduced each other as boyfriend and girlfriend to their friends, it wasn’t super serious. Not super serious meaning they had only made out a few times, which was the farthest they had gone. She didn’t mind, Jughead didn’t seem to be the type to rush into the bedroom. In fact, she preferred to wait on that sort of thing. He always wore the same hat, and never looked like he got enough sleep. She found it kind of attractive, but sometimes she had to take off his hat and throw it in the wash when it smelt a little weird. He was a writer himself, but instead produced fabulous fictional stories that he’d send to Betty. Sometimes she wondered if she was more enamored by brooding Jughead, or the stories he’d come up with.   

**Betty: That’s great Archie! How did you guys meet and when will I meet her?**

**Archie: Well we met on Instagram after I commented on one of her photos. Can you believe it? She slid into MY DMs!**

**Betty: City girls are persistent, I’m not surprised haha**

**Archie: Anyways she goes to Parsons… you know that like fashion university or whatever. She’s shown me sketches of some of her clothing designs and wow Betty let me tell you, I’ve never been interested in women’s clothing until now**

**Betty: Wow you must really like her! You didn’t answer my question though, when can I meet her??**

**Archie: Actually I was wondering if you and Jug wanted to go on a double date on Friday, she’s actually the one who suggested it. Are you on board?**

**Betty: For sure! Juggie and I can meet you at the train station… what have you told her about me? You better not have mentioned anything embarrassing!**

**Archie: I haven’t told her anything! She doesn’t even know your name so you guys have a good first impression**

**Betty: Wait, I don’t get to know her name either??**

**Archie: Nope**

**Betty: Cruel. I was going to look her up on Instagram and find your comment on her photo**

**Archie: Haha don’t do that. You’d slap me**

**Betty: Archie Andrews!!!**

 --

“It says he’s coming in on track 23,” her boyfriend Jughead said. He blew on his cold hands in an effort to warm them, as he was too stubborn to wear anything but a winter coat and his hat. He and Betty stood by the famous clock of Grand Central, and Betty looked anxiously around for her red-haired best friend. She had not seen him since August when they were back home in Riverdale. Now in November, it was currently below freezing outside, with a threat of snow on the radar. Betty was already abnormally cold to begin with, so she was standing next to Jughead in wool gloves, a grey pea coat, ear muffs, and a flannel scarf. Yet somehow, she was still shivering slightly.

Archie saw them before Betty or Jughead saw him. By the time Betty noticed, he was running at them with his arms open wide and a bright smile on his face. He tackled Betty in a hug, dropping the duffle bag he was holding on the ground immediately. Betty hugged him back under his arms, quite literally trapped in his hug. He smelt like strongly of cologne while the parka he was wearing had a remnant smell of his dog. His red hair was gelled slightly, and a few stray hairs hung down in his face.

After releasing Betty from his tight hug, he ran a hand through his hair before hugging Jughead next. Archie had always been a passionate hugger, and put a lot of emotion into his hugs. She already was feeling a bit warmer after his enveloping hug. In fact, it was Archie who had introduced Jughead and Betty to each other last April while he was in New York City.

“It’s good to see you guys,” Archie said, picking up his duffle bag after he hugged Jughead. “It means so much that you both are coming. Trust me, you’ll definitely like her. She’s insanely gorgeous, and she’s got this laugh that-”

“Don’t get too carried away now Archie,” Jughead said, pushing his shoulder slightly. “Sounds like you’re in love with her already. Have you even met her before?”

Archie blushed, his cheeks beginning to match the color of his hair. “Yeah, I came down for a day about a few weeks ago.”

“Archie! And you didn’t tell me!” Betty gasped, glaring at him as they began to walk towards the exit.

“It was only for a day! Plus, I knew you had class and I didn’t know if anything would progress between she and I. Despite the fact she messaged me first, she plays really hard to get sometimes,” Archie sighed, opening the navigation app on his phone. “Let me look up the directions, she said it was a few blocks from here. She may be running a few minutes late though, she just got in her Uber.”

The trio followed Archie’s directions as they walked down the streets of Manhattan. Archie refused to say anything else about his new girlfriend, which left Jughead to talk aimlessly about how his roommate did not know how to properly wash dishes. For some reason, Betty didn’t feel the same outrage as Jughead and Archie did about how his roommate didn’t know you’re supposed to wash the handle of the spoon too. She was just glad she had a dishwasher in her apartment.

“This is it. Er…” Archie said, slowing down outside a quiet looking Italian restaurant. The restaurant’s name was in Italian, and Betty already knew Archie was about to botch the name of the restaurant so badly with his American pronunciation. “Well, I’m not going to try to pronounce that because we know I suck at any language other than English.”

Jughead laughed, “Including English.”

Archie’s new girlfriend had not arrived yet, leaving Archie to approach the server and ask for a table for four. Betty and Jughead shed their coats and other winter outwear on the coat hanger by the door, before following Archie and their server to a booth. It was clear Archie was dressed to impress. He had a maroon, half-zip sweater on and black chino pants.

Betty also tried her best to look good to make a first impression on Archie’s girlfriend, since the way Archie was talking about her they might as well be getting engaged within the next few months. She was wearing a black turtle-neck and navy jeans, trying her best to look presentable and also stay warm. In her leather lace up boots were thick wool socks, as her feet were always the first thing to get cold. She told Jughead to look presentable the night before, but his version of presentable was an NYU crewneck that had a few holes in the arms.

“Should we get drinks while we wait?” Archie asked, nervousness evident in his voice.

“Do you think they’d give me bourbon if I asked? I can already tell that I’m going to need it,” Jughead whispered, leaning close to Betty so that only she could hear.

“Oh wait, here she is,” Archie said, beaming behind she and Jughead. He looked like a kid in a candy store, and Betty was eager to see why Archie was so hooked on this girl already.

Betty moved toward Jughead in order to turn around and look at Archie’s girlfriend. She plastered a smile on her face beforehand, before looking up at the dark-haired girl approach their booth. The second, she laid eyes on the brunette in the royal blue dress her smile faltered upon realization as to who Archie’s new girlfriend was.

She looked down at Betty at the same moment, stopping slightly in her tracks right in front of the booth as the smile on her dark red lips faltered as well.

“Guys, this is my girlfriend Veronica Lodge,” Archie said, standing up to greet Veronica. He kissed her cheek, and stepped away so that she could slide into the booth. “Veronica, this is my childhood best friend Betty Cooper, and her boyfriend Jughead Jones.”

Veronica continued to stare down at Betty, who stared back up at her. Both women were completely dumbfounded, having accepted years ago that neither would ever see the other again. Veronica’s smile returned on her face, but it was evident she was slightly shaken up.

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” she cooed, pressing her lips together tightly.

“Do you guys know each other?” Jughead asked, picking up on the way both women looked at each other.

Betty turned to look at Jughead, unsure of what to say.

“No, we don’t,” Veronica answered casually, sliding into the booth to sit across from him. Archie quickly got into the seat next to her. “I was just admiring Betty’s highlight. Is that Hourglass’s Luminous Light?”

“Yeah, it is,” Betty confirmed. Most people would be surprised by how Veronica was able to recognize a brand and color of highlighter in a dimly lit restaurant. But, the only reason Veronica knew was because she used the same kind of highlighter on Betty’s face one night during the summer of 2018 when she decided to give Betty a makeover.

“Thought so,” Veronica said, reaching for a menu.

Betty couldn’t stop looking at Veronica, who glanced up at her from over the top of her menu occasionally as she looked over it.

_“Mmmph…Betty…huh…holy shit. Don’t stop.”_

The sound of Veronica and what they did in her bedroom back in Lake George echoed in her ear, as if old memories were uncovered just from looking at her. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, it looked like she would be needing the bourbon tonight more than Jughead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this because there's not a lot of M-rated Beronica fanfics that are more...plot with some porn. I've seen porn without plot, porn with plot... but not really any fics that have a real storyline to them with the porn being the icing on the cake of a good story.
> 
> I hope I'm doing that kind of story justice, leave a comment with a suggestion or thoughts. I love to hear from people who read :)


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I MADE A MISTAKE, BETTY GOES TO COLUMBIA NOT CORNELL!!!
> 
> ok so Kevin is gay and Betty is bi and so is Veronica Tbh I have a pet peeve about blatantly stating sexualities in my writing for some reason, so I usually throw some hints in here.

Sitting diagonal to Veronica Lodge after not seeing her for four years was throwing Betty for a loop. The daughter of the CEO of Lodge Industries, New York City native, student at Parsons, stealer of her first kiss and later her virginity, _girlfriend_ of Archie Andrews. This was too much for Betty, whose hunger for some spaghetti had been reduced to chewing on the cubes of ice in her water.

New York City was populated by 8.5 million people in the five boroughs that it made up. Betty had spent the majority of her time in the Big Apple for the past two years, there were many instances where Betty could’ve run into Veronica. She had walked by Parsons School of Design multiple times, why didn’t fate make them bump into each other in passing on the street? Hell, Betty would take being single and dumping her coffee all over an also single Veronica’s dress from Burberry while they knocked into each other on the street over the situation they were in now. Veronica’s anger would immediately flare in her chest, spitting out that her dress was worth thousands of dollars. The words would catch in her mouth as she realized who had dumped coffee on her. In a perfect world or maybe a movie, that would happen. They would forget about how Betty ruined a dress worth five months of her rent, and kiss on the street right on the spot. But, this wasn’t a perfect world and it wasn’t a movie either.

Instead, fate made Veronica her best friend’s girlfriend and Betty dating a guy who barely even kissed her cheek in goodbye. If Betty had to say one thing on how she felt about fate, it would be, “what a fucking bitch.”

In the four years that they hadn’t seen each other, Veronica’s cheeks were completely rid of baby fat. Her cheek bones were more prominent, her lips were fuller and coated in a layer of red lipstick. Her eyebrows were perfect and bold, but her eyes remained the same. They were the most familiar thing about Veronica’s appearance, and reminded Betty of how wet tree bark looked after a rainstorm.

Veronica’s familiar eyes glanced up at Betty occasionally, and Betty tried to keep her own jade colored eyes off of her. Veronica’s cheeks were flushed from the cold, and she sipped her water curtly as Archie slid his hand not so discreetly over her thigh.

“So… what is everyone thinking of getting?” Archie asked, smiling to lighten the mood. Classic Archie, the only thing he was good at recognizing were awkward moments when no one was talking. But then again, that was because the awkwardness was currently almost palpable in the air.

“Um, I think I’m getting the classic spaghetti and meatballs,” Jughead said, snapping his menu closed. “Can’t go wrong there.”

Betty sighed, bless these two men. Their effort to stimulate conversation was much needed, but Betty couldn’t even think of what she wanted to eat much less try to contribute to their conversation.

“How about you, babe?” Archie asked, and Betty’s eyes shot up from the menu. She felt a pang in her chest, and her toes curled in her boots.

“I’m going to get the chicken piccata,” Veronica said, resting her hands on the white clothed table.

Betty didn’t speak up with what she wanted, because the only thing she currently wanted was to get out of the restaurant and go home. But, for Archie’s sake…she’d stay.

Things were relatively silent between the four, none of them unsure of what to say. They ordered their drinks and food to a waitress who seemed to notice the awkwardness. While in Lake George, Veronica carried herself with purpose, but right now she could barely get a few words out. She had never been a woman of few words, that was Betty’s thing.

“So…Veronica, Archie told us you go to Parsons. Do all of your classes center around clothes?” Jughead asked, finally breaking the silence. Betty felt him rest a hand on her knee, squeezing it quickly before putting his hand back on the table.

Veronica took a deep breath, and looked up at Jughead. A small smile formed on her lips, “Not all of them, but I’m a junior so more so than before. Do you go to NYU?”

Jughead looked down at his worn crew neck sweatshirt and smiled, “How could you tell?” he asked, sarcasm lacing in her words.

“You must like it there, what’s your major?” she asked, straightening up slightly. Betty could tell she was feeling more at ease.

“English,” Jughead said, continuing his attempt on making things less awkward. “I write a lot of fictional novels, right now I’m working on a small-town murder mystery.”

“It’s really good,” Betty piped up. She was doing this for Archie, he wanted to have a good dinner with his best friend and his girlfriend. She’d give him that, only because he had done so much for her. “I’m convinced one of main character is inspired by Archie.”

Archie looked up, he seemed to be lost in thought while staring at the bread in the middle of the table. Betty winked at him, and the smile returned to his face.

“Just because he’s a ginger doesn’t mean the character is based off of me, Betts,” Archie shot back, laughing slightly. “Right Jug?”

“I won’t confirm nor deny,” Jughead said, drinking his Coke quickly through his straw.

Things seemed to lighten up as they talked more, but that didn’t cure Betty’s lack of appetite. She ordered baked manicotti, but was only able to take a few bites. Veronica barely touched her food either, pushing the small capers around on her plate. Archie and Jughead soon carried more of the conversation, as the two women returned to longingly glancing at each other and looking away once the other looked back.

Time had never gone by slower for Betty, who thought they had been sitting in the booth for over an hour when in reality it had only been exactly thirty-seven minutes. Betty stopped looking at Veronica, as she had been transfixed by how Veronica was twirling her uneaten pasta on her plate.

When it was finally time to leave, Jughead paid for Betty’s barely touched food. She had the entire dish put into a take away bag, which Veronica did the same. Archie paid for Veronica’s dinner, despite the fact Veronica was dressed like she could buy the whole restaurant if she wanted. They put on their coats, gloves, and earmuffs in silence. Veronica’s coat was next to Betty’s, black and expensive looking. It had a fur lined hood, and when she put it on it went down to her knees.

The foursome stepped outside the restaurant, turning to each other to say goodbye. Jughead held onto Betty’s leftovers, which allowed Archie to easily wrap Betty into one of his infamous hugs. She hugged him back, internally sighing at how inevitably complicated their friendship was about to become while he was dating Veronica Lodge. Betty saw Jughead and Veronica hugging in the corner of her hair, as Veronica expressed her happiness that Archie had introduced her to him and Betty.

When Archie let her go and moved to hug Jughead, she knew what was coming. She and Veronica hugged, and it was the tensest hug Betty had ever had. Veronica was stiff against Betty, her arms tight around her back. Betty’s nose was filled with Veronica’s perfume, Channel No5. A warmth of familiarity washed over Betty, and she felt the tension in her arms loosen up as she inhaled deeply. She wasn’t sure when she’d see Veronica again, if ever. Betty had to cherish Veronica’s smell somehow.

“It was nice to meet you Betty,” Veronica said, rather loudly so that Archie and Jughead could hear. “I’m really glad that Archie has a best friend like you.”

Betty almost snorted in laughter, what a lie that was.

\--

Betty entered her apartment twenty minutes later, cold and disgruntled. It was windy on her walk back, and her nose felt like it was about to fall off. She hastily discarded her gloves, earmuffs, and scarf in the closet. It took her a few seconds to unbutton her pea coat, but that too was hastily stuffed into the closet.

“Well hi there.”

Betty looked over at the couch in front of the TV, and saw her roommate Kevin Keller looking behind at her. He also went to Columbia, it just worked out that way. It only made sense that they get an apartment together.

Betty kicked off her shoes, stumbling as she struggled to do so.

“Hey,” Betty responded, trying to sound chipper.

“Did you have a good night out?” he asked, pausing his TV show.

“Yeah, I’m great. Just tired,” Betty said, retreating to her bedroom.

She shut the door behind her, and flopped on her queen-sized bed. Her room was small, but it had character. There was a large window behind her head board, that let her have an average view of the Hudson River. She liked having the window, but the window also leaked cold air during the winter. Betty made up for that with a feather comforter and many fuzzy blankets, which she curled up under after a long day in class.

**Archie: Thank you for coming to dinner with Ronnie and I tonight :) here’s her number. I’m really hoping you guys become good friends. You both mean a lot to me**

Betty stared down at the message, glaring at the ten-digit number that followed Archie’s message. The number that was given to her could have changed everything if she had gotten it four years earlier. She clicked on the number, and a new thread opened so that she could write a message to Veronica.

**Betty: Can’t believe I asked for this number four years ago and am just now getting it**

She looked down at her message to Veronica, her finger hovering over the blue send button. She couldn’t send that, it sounded to bitchy and passive aggressive. She erased the message and locked her phone, tossing it down on the bed next to her.

There was a soft meow from the inside of her closet, and a fat cat jumped onto her stomach. Its paws felt uncomfortable on Betty, but she reached up and pet its back nonetheless. His name was Louis, a stray she had found during her sophomore year. He was skin and bones when she found him, but now a year later overweight. Betty knew it was her fault he was so fat, she had sympathized for him when he was skinny and kept feeding him countless treats. He had to shed a few pounds, but she always gave in to his meows when he wanted treats.

He purred, and situated himself on her abdomen. She scratched him under his chin, watching as his eyes closed in contempt.

“Never fall in love with anyone, Louis,” she told the cat, as if cats had dating lives. “It’s not worth it.”

There was a knock on her door, and Kevin entered holding a bowl of popcorn.

“I’m about to turn on Criminal Minds, do you want to watch?” he asked, standing in the doorway. He quickly noticed Betty’s distressed face, and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“You know how I went to meet Archie and his new girlfriend tonight?” Betty asked, feeling a quiver in her voice.

“Yeah…what happened?” he asked, throwing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

“And do you remember Veronica Lodge from Lake George?” she asked.

Kevin’s eyes widened as he chewed, “No fucking way! How could I forget? She practically stole you away from me during the summer. Wait, that’s Archie’s new girlfriend?”

Betty nodded silently, the overwhelming feeling of distress caused tears to sting her eyes. She covered her face with her hands in order to hide her cry face from Kevin, even though he had seen it many times before.

Kevin quickly noticed, and set the popcorn bowl down on Betty’s dresser. He began to shush her, and sat down on the edge of her bed.

“Hey, hey, hey, why are you crying?” Kevin asked, sympathy evident in his voice as Betty sat up. Louis slid down her stomach and fell onto her lap. She felt Kevin rub her back slowly, as she rubbed the tears from her eyes. “I thought she and her mom moved to New Jersey after her dad got arrested.”

“Well, she’s not in New Jersey anymore. She’s living her dream, going to Parsons and wearing a fucking $400 dress. On top of which, she’s dating Archie now,” Betty sobbed, putting her face back in her hands.

“Wait, are you upset that she took Archie from you? I mean I know you had a crush on him in high school but-,” Kevin frowned, his hand on her back stopped moving.

“No, Kevin! I do not like Archie like that,” Betty said, silencing Kevin. Why did she even like such a cookie cutter dream boy like Archie? Why did _Veronica_ even like a cookie cutter dream boy like Archie? Betty groaned, “I should’ve told you about this years ago.”

“About what?” Kevin asked, giving her a sideways look.

Betty’s lip quivered, and she bit on it harshly to prevent more sobs from escaping her lips. She took a deep breath, and practically spilt her guts to Kevin. She explained how she didn’t come back to where they were sitting outside for over thirty minutes because she was making out with Veronica in her bedroom. How she left so suddenly from the arcade and ditched all of them because she saw Veronica and chased her down the street. How she spent so much time with Veronica the next summer because they’d sneak off to kiss. How on her last night she didn’t go to Kevin’s house with her family for dinner because she went to Veronica’s and had sex with her instead.

Kevin listened without saying a word, his mouth partly opened in shock. Then she explained how she had not heard from Veronica in four years, how Archie was so enamored by his new girlfriend. How she went with Jughead to the restaurant expecting to see anyone but Veronica Lodge. How she could barely eat because her stomach kept flopping.

“Wow,” Kevin said, as Betty erupted in sobs again. “That explains everything. You know, why she was so interested in you from the start.”

He didn’t say anything else, instead he pulled her into a side-hug. She held onto him as she cried into his wool sweater, staining it with her wet tears. Kevin shushed her and pushed the hair away from her face. It wasn’t until minutes later that Betty finally began to calm down, and she wiped the tears stained with mascara off of her face.

“Well, I guess that makes you and Archie Eskimo siblings now,” Kevin shrugged, as Betty straightened up.

Betty scoffed, but a laugh escaped her lips anyway. “I do _not_ want to think about the fact Archie and Veronica are probably having sex right now.”

“Well, what are you going to do about this?”

“What is there to do?” Betty asked, her voice cracking. “Archie _really_ likes Veronica, I’m not about to break them up or something.”

“I mean, and you are dating Jughead,” Kevin shrugged.

“That too. Honestly, it’s just a mess,” Betty sighed, and rubbed her temples.

“Would some Criminal Minds help take your mind off of it?” Kevin asked, nudging her with his shoulder.

She looked over at him, a smile teasing her lips.

“Yes, actually,” she sighed, and scooped up her cat. “Come on Louis.”

Betty knew then _exactly_ what she’s going to write her article about now.


	4. Three

Betty _Fucking_ Cooper. It _had_ to be her. Before they even got back to Veronica’s apartment, Archie sent her Betty’s phone number. He _really_ wanted the two to get along and get to know each other, which made Veronica want to laugh. Little did he know just how much getting to know each other they had already done years prior. Veronica held her leftovers in a tight fist as she continued to mull over her thoughts. All of them about Betty Cooper. She always knew that somehow and someway Betty Cooper would find a way back into her life. Veronica had been absolutely devastated when her father was arrested, but she was even more devastated when she was told their lake house was going to be put on the market. Never again did she think she’d see Betty Cooper, but the more time Veronica had spent away from her the more she knew Betty would find a way back.

She didn’t expect Betty’s grand entrance back into her life to be quite like how this night had gone. But the universe played a cruel game, so it made perfect sense that her new boyfriend’s best friend was Betty. And of course, Betty had a boyfriend. Veronica felt the sting of heat in her chest when Archie introduced Jughead as her boyfriend. She had to bite back a mean retort about how Jughead looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. Her chest flared in anger even more when she realized he was _cute_. _Of course,_ Betty had a good taste in her partners, she was attracted to Veronica after all.

Veronica was so disgruntled and thrown by what had happened tonight, she barely even kissed Archie when they got back to her apartment that she and her friend Josie shared. Her apartment paid for by her family, even her tuition was covered for. It had a tall ceiling and granite countertops in the kitchen, dark hardwood floors, and a walk-in closet. When she entered her apartment with Archie in tow behind her, she barely had time to hastily take off her coat until he was turning her around to properly kiss her.

It felt wrong. In the times she and Archie kissed, Betty had never come to mind. He was an average kisser, definitely not the best she ever had, but she still enjoyed it. Now the second he laid his lips on her, Betty’s green eyes and soft smile invaded her head. He mumbled how he was waiting all night to kiss her. Their kiss was short. Veronica leaned back and stepped backwards to end it within a few seconds.

She could see confusion and a flash of hurt in his dark brown eyes, and she patted his chest before going to put her leftovers away.

“So, do you like them?” Archie asked, looking around the spacious apartment.

Veronica looked back at him from the fridge, “Yeah, they seem really nice.”

Later that night, Archie was curled up next to Veronica in her bed. His pajamas consisted of green cotton pants and a heather gray t-shirt, his gelled hair now falling more into his face than before. He put his arm around her as she scrolled through Netflix on the mounted TV in front of her bed. She could feel his strong arms, and nestled herself into his side.

“So, how long have you known Betty?” Veronica asked, continuing to scroll through various shows.

Archie began stroking patterns on her back with her thumb, “We’ve been next door neighbors since we were four. She taught me how to read so that I wouldn’t get held back. We’ve been pretty much inseparable until college rolled around. I was trying to get her to come to college in Boston with me, but she was stubborn about New York City.”

Veronica’s interest peeked even more, did Betty choose to come to New York City because Veronica told her to?

“Has she been dating Jughead since high school?” Veronica asked, preparing herself for an answer she didn’t want to hear.

Archie shook his head, “Maybe a few months. I introduced them to each other, but in high school Betty didn’t really see anyone. I think everyone expected she and I to date.”

“Why’s that?” Veronica asked. _Oh no,_ she thought. _What if Archie and Betty had done stuff together?_

Archie shrugged, “I mean, we had been best friends for so long that it just seemed to make sense. I don’t know, I think we’re better off as friends really. Though, whoever Betty’s dating or ends up marrying is a lucky person for sure.”

“Guess Jughead is pretty lucky,” Veronica said, swallowing thickly and clenching her jaw.

She felt Archie touch her cheek, rotating her head towards him.

“Enough about her though,” he whispered. “I’m really glad you invited me this weekend.”

Veronica smiled as Archie slowly leaned in to kiss her, “I’m glad you came and introduced me to your friends.”

\--

**Veronica: So… you finally have my number now**

She quickly hit the send button before she talked herself out of it. All day on Saturday, Archie had pushed her to text Betty. She had no idea what to say to her, and Betty hadn’t made any effort to text Veronica either.

Veronica set her phone down on the counter, rushing away from it as the same overwhelming feeling from the previous night took over. Archie was sitting on her couch, scrolling through restaurants that delivered food. Her weekend with Archie there had continued to get better, they spent the day exploring the city. He held her hand the whole time and opened all doors for her like a bellhop.

**Betty: Hi! It was nice to meet you too! I’m Betty in case you forgot :)**

Veronica read Betty’s text, feeling the sarcasm in each word. It was clear that Betty was equally as jarred by their reunion, but Veronica didn’t expect her to react that way. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the kitchen counter to reply.

**Veronica: Shut up, I’m literally rolling my eyes. Look, I’m bringing Archie to Grand Central at 5 tomorrow, then I’m getting dinner with my mom. Do you want to meet after? Get some coffee? Catch up? How about 8?**

She wasn’t sure what Betty would make of her proposal, she wasn’t even sure if Betty wanted anything to do with her. After all, she did practically go off the grid four years ago and now reappeared suddenly only to be dating Betty’s best friend. Veronica wouldn’t be surprised if Betty flat out blocked her number.

**Betty: I’ll think about it Lodge, you practically stood me up for four years**

A smile threatened Veronica’s lips, sensing the tease in Betty’s message. Four years ago, Betty would’ve easily given in to Veronica. Twenty-year old Betty seemed to have a bit of bite and resistance.

**Veronica: See, this is why we should get coffee. I can explain all of that!**

**Betty: Coffee at 8pm?**

**Veronica: Decaf tea then.**

**Betty: Alright… I’ll text you the address of this coffee house I usually go to. They have good tea**

**Veronica: See you then :)**

\--

The cold was numbing Veronica’s face from the short walk she had taken to get the coffee house. Dinner with her mom was casual, but the whole time Veronica was waiting for time to pass so that she could go meet Betty. Since reuniting with her on Friday, she had practically become obsessed with the blonde all over again. She felt like she was sixteen again, waiting for Betty to go swim with her or pull her off somewhere to kiss. No longer being able to do that was practically agonizing, her sixteen-year-old conscious battled with her for relief.

She was late by ten minutes, but casually entered the coffee house so that she didn’t seem like she _really_ wanted to see Betty. Which she did, of course she did.

She saw Betty the second she walked in, looking at her phone with a mug of green tea in front of her. She was wearing a beige cabled sweater, washed out jeans, wavy hair  tossed casually over her shoulder. Veronica watched her for a moment, taking in how the light from her phone illuminated her face, how she was chewing on her bottom lip, how Betty had already gotten Veronica the wild blueberry black tea she liked.

Veronica took a deep breath, and approached her former summer fling casually. 

“Hi, sorry for running late,” Veronica said warmly, sitting down in the chair across form Betty.

Betty locked her phone and looked up, “It’s okay, I wasn’t waiting long.”

Veronica relished in the small smile Betty gave her, her lips only turned up slightly in greeting. Betty had always been girl-next-door cute, but the four years had done her well. It made Veronica regret not giving Betty her phone number four years ago even more.

There were few people in the coffee house this late. All of them looked to be students, reading over notes or squinting as they loomed over their laptops. Veronica immediately recognized the song playing softly in the background, “I’ll Look Around” by Billie Holiday. The song was practically overpowered by the sound of the barista behind the counter, the sound of him preparing an expresso filled the coffee house loudly.

“It’s been a while,” Veronica said, shrugging out of her coat.

One of Betty’s light pink manicured fingers traced the name of the coffee house on her mug, “It was kind of a shock when I showed up at your house the next summer to a for sale sign.”

Veronica sighed, “You know, I tried looking you up on Facebook. There are over eighty Betty Cooper’s on Facebook, did you know that? But none of them were you.”

Betty smiled for the first time because of something Veronica did since they had reunited. Her pearly white and perfect smile seemed to fill the coffee house with light and warmth.

“Yeah, well my Facebook name is Elizabeth Cooper. Also, I never made a Facebook until I was a freshman in college,” she said, sipping her green tea to hide her smile.

Veronica felt taken aback, “Oh…I didn’t realize Betty was just a nickname.”

Betty shrugged, “It never really came up. Plus, only my mom calls me Elizabeth really.”

Veronica watched Betty silently for a few seconds. Elizabeth? The name Elizabeth fit Betty surprisingly well, she would have never guessed that Betty was just a nickname though. It just went to show how much Veronica didn't really know about Betty. They spent more of their time kissing than talking when they were teens.

“I see you took my advice to go to New York City for college,” Veronica pointed out, remembering her recommendation from years ago.

“Yeah, I did an interview with Columbia and they accepted me for some reason. It was kind of surprising, but I couldn’t pass down an offer to an Ivy League,” Betty said, shrugging.

“Because you are a smart cookie. I told you that you could get in,” Veronica smiled, feeling pride for Betty. It wasn’t very often that someone got into an Ivy League, and Veronica had been the one to suggest it.

Betty laughed, the sound like smooth caramel in Veronica’s ears.

“Well, this has been an unexpected way to reunite. I’m really glad you’re living your dream by going to Parsons,” Betty said, giving her a genuine smile.

“You can take the girl out of New York City, but she’ll always find her way back,” Veronica pointed out, which was what she said every time someone asked about how she lived in New Jersey for a year. “So, Betty, what have you done in the last four years?”

“What’s there to say? I’m at Columbia and I write for the university’s newspaper, but I’m thinking of looking at other publications to write for to help with my resume. Last summer I went to France which was really nice,” Betty faded out, chewing her bottom lip in thought. She tapped her nails on the ceramic mug.

Veronica sipped her tea, “You’ll have to send me the link to some of your articles.”

“I’ll think about it, I’m pretty passionate when I write so you may be a bit overwhelmed,” Betty said, a breathy laugh slipping past her lips.

“I like someone with strong opinions,” Veronica shrugged.

Betty smiled, “Alright, I will. Only if you send me some of your sketches that Archie won’t shut up about. Remember you promised you’d send me some of your clothes from your line.”

“Well, I'll send you some sketches, but I haven’t had anything actually made yet,” Veronica sighed. “So, tell me, you’re dating this guy Jughead? I didn’t expect you to be with a guy like him.”

“I guess I just like people who are interesting and unique. Not the type of person who you can find ten others of fairly easily,” Betty said, leaning back in her chair. “Speaking of boyfriends, tell me a bit about how you and Archie met.”

September 23rd 2021, @archie_andrews commented on her latest Instagram photo. Many people commented on her photos, but it was Archie’s comment that caught her eye. The photo was of her leaning against the Brooklyn bridge, sunglasses covering her eyes, her red lips turned up in a small smirk. The photo was from the back right, giving her over 50,000 followers a view of how many squats she was doing at the gym. The black and white pin striped dress pants drew more attention to her backside, the white sleeveless top acted as only an accent.

Archie’s comment was respectful, yet a subtle form of flirting. His profile photo was a picture of him crouched down next to his yellow dog. His profile was unlocked, allowing her access to his photos. His bio was simple, “’If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.’| BU 2023.” Archie was building his door by reaching out to Veronica, but now it was her move. He was cute, and she liked his red hair. He had a nice smile, good shirtless workout pictures. Veronica knew she should've done more investigating on his profile, since he had two photos of Betty from three years ago hidden down his page. Veronica didn't find this out until the night after she reunited with Betty, but Betty's Instagram was unfortunately private. She DMed him a few hours later, and got a response from him right away.

Betty laughed as Veronica explained the story to her, rightfully so. Even Veronica was a bit embarrassed on how they met, especially when she had casually met Betty on the beach one day. Speaking of Archie, her phone lit up with a new text from him every few minutes. He liked to text a lot, liked to keep up with what she was doing. It was unusual for her, since no one she ever dated really kept super close tabs on her like Archie did. But, maybe that was because they were long distance.

“Enough about our boyfriends though, I was totally thinking about how back in Lake George you almost won 30,000 tickets on that ball drop game,” Veronica giggled, and reached over to grab Betty’s wrist.

“That game was totally rigged, I really wanted that giant stuffed unicorn,” Betty pouted, her bottom lip jutting out. “You’d understand my sadness if spent almost $10 on the game.”

The two continued to talk, their conversation straying from anything to do with their boyfriends or their current lives. Instead, they talked about memories from their times in Lake George. How they almost got caught kissing by Veronica’s dad while they snuck off to his study, how Betty slurred her words after barely drinking a glass of wine. Their giggles and laughs filled the coffee house as its closing time drew nearer.

“I’m so glad we reconnected,” Veronica smiled, feeling the old fluttering in her heart that she felt during the weeks Betty spent at Lake George. “I always had a feeling the universe would make us find our way back to each other.”

Betty snorted, “The universe could’ve picked better circumstances.”

“That’s true,” Veronica shrugged. “How’s my friend Kevin, what’s he been up to?”

“Well, it’s almost 9pm so he’s probably cram studying for something or watching Criminal Minds back at the apartment,” Betty said, a smile teasing her lips.

“Oh my god, Kevin’s your _roommate?_ That’s so wild, how is it? Is he the best?” Veronica asked.

“Yeah, he’s great. He goes to Columbia too, it just kind of worked out that way,” Betty shrugged.

“Is he back at your apartment? I really want to say to say hi,” Veronica said, taking both of Betty’s hands.

“We live a few blocks from here, you can drop in if you want. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you,” Betty said, finishing off her tea.

“Lead the way, Cooper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> steamy times are coming....dun dun DUNNNNN
> 
> Leave a comment, i hope you guys got some insight on where Veronica is at!


	5. Four

The sound of a meowing cat was the first thing to greet the two when they entered Betty and Kevin’s shared apartment. Betty squinted through the darkness as she saw a fat figure move through the shadows and approach them. Louis rubbed against Betty’s legs, making sure to especially rub against the buckle of her left boot. He paused in front of Veronica, not rubbing against her legs as he realized she was a stranger to him. Betty flicked the switch for the overhead lights, illuminating the living room brightly. The next moment she was turning up the apartment’s thermostat by five degrees, since she and Kevin were making more of an effort to save some money off their monthly heating bill.

“Kevin out for the night?” Veronica remarked, as Betty slipped out of her boots and walked over to the kitchen counter.

**Hey B! On date number 4 with that guy we met at Connie’s... don’t think I’ll be back tonight soooo don’t wait up worried ;) – Kev**

“Looks like he’s on a date,” Betty sighed, picking up the blue sticky note and tossing it in the recycling bin. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know he’d be gone.”

Veronica didn’t respond, instead she was transfixed by their fridge. Betty and Kevin kept a pretty clutter free fridge, the only thing they ever kept on it was fliers for events, some fridge magnets which had phrases and photos from the 50’s, and a few photos from their youth. One in particular caught Veronica’s eye, and she approached it slowly.

“Wow, I remember this day,” Veronica said, laughing slightly. She reached out and ran a finger along the white frame of the polaroid, observing the photo that had been taken four years prior. It was of Kevin, Betty, Veronica, and one of their friends from Lake George. They were sitting in the back of Kevin’s cousin’s pickup truck, waiting for the fireworks to begin. Kevin’s cousin had been nice enough to take the photo of the four, but there was something special about what was happening in the photo that probably made Veronica transfixed. Teenage Veronica and Betty were wrapped up in a fuzzy plaid blanket that they shared, covering both of their entire bodies. “You were a bit jumpy when I was touching your thigh.”

Betty took off her coat and hung it up in the closet, “Yeah, well you were going up my leg without warning and I was afraid someone would’ve seen.”

Louis meowed loudly and looked up at the two women, unamused with the fact a polaroid was getting more attention than him. He hopped up onto the arm of the couch and waited patiently to be pet, staring expectantly at Betty. Betty sighed, and scooped him up in her arms. He was a bit heavy, but if she cradled him just right it wasn’t so bad.

“Now, who is _this_ love ball?” Veronica asked, turning her attention to the purring cat in Betty’s arms. She quickly walked towards Louis, and held out her hand for him to see.

In response, Louis sniffed it quickly before rubbing his head against her hand to invite her to touch him. Veronica stepped closer to Betty, and used both hands to give him a full body pet.

“This is Louis. Kev and I found him on the street last year and took him in. He used to be _way_ smaller but-,” Betty began, feeling almost embarrassed that she had let Louis get this fat.

“Well, I think his body size suits him. I’m sure he gets tons of treats and cuddles, _don’t you Louis_?” Veronica’s voice had been reduced to a coo, one that Betty often used when she talked to any kind of animal.

Betty smiled as she watched them, she had never seen Veronica interact with any sort of animal before. It was nice to see she had a large soft spot like Betty did for animals.

“D-do you want me to take your coat? I don’t want you to go back out in the cold yet,” Betty asked, hoisting Louis back up in her arms. No matter how good of a grip she had on his orange fur, he always began to slip out of her grasp.

Veronica looked up at her from petting Louis, a look of surprise written on her face. She quickly covered it by clearing her throat, and straightened back up.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude,” Veronica asked, but began unbuttoning her coat regardless.

“No of course…here you can have a turn holding him,” Betty said, trading fat Louis for Veronica’s expensive fur coat.

She took Louis in her arms and began to scratch under his chin, cooing and making noises of adoration whenever he meowed or rubbed his head against her chest. Veronica wasn’t as used to holding a cat as heavy as fat Louis, and had to sit on the couch in order to continue petting him. While she gave him the attention he had been craving, Betty went into the fridge and filled his bowl with the rest of the wet cat food he had started for breakfast. Kevin had suggested that instead of leaving out constant food all day for him, they regulate how much he ate each morning and night. As of now, Louis was eating one small can of cat food a day with some treats too. Betty was hesitant that Louis would still be hungry, but Kevin said she had to be stern with him if she wanted Louis to lose some weight. She couldn’t help feeding him treats though.

One thing Louis loved more than petting and attention was food. After the smell of cat food drifted into the living room as Betty scooped it into his bowl, he hopped off Veronica’s lap with a small meow and pattered into the kitchen to eat. Betty took Louis’s spot on the couch, and sat next to Veronica. The two girls sat facing each other, their knees about a foot away from touching.

“You guys have a really nice apartment, I’m jealous,” Veronica remarked, looking around their living room.

Betty snorted, “And you expect me to believe you aren’t living in a lavish apartment paid for by your parents?”

“You got me there, Cooper,” Veronica laughed, pushing Betty’s thigh with her hand. “I just mean I wouldn’t mind living like this, it has a lot of character. Not an apartment that looks like it came out of an Ikea catalog.”

“Well, thank you. When Kevin and I saw the listing for it, it was pretty much perfect. Though there was a plumbing issue at first…but thank god that’s been over for about a year,” Betty sighed. “It lets Kevin and I live here all year round, which is good because I have an excuse to not visit my family that much. I think I’d go crazy if I had to live there the whole summer.”

“You’ve really become a city rat, huh Betts?” Veronica smiled. “Once you get sucked in you can’t leave. I always knew you’d get roped in too.”

“Yeah, well if it wasn’t for you who suggested I go to Columbia, I wouldn’t be here,” Betty said quietly, looking down at her hands.

“You really took what I said into consideration that much?”

“Well, here I am, aren’t I? I even got Kevin out here too,” Betty smiled shyly.

Once again, the smell of Veronica’s Chanel No5 perfume slowly wafted into Betty’s nose, invading all of her senses at once. It was a comforting smell, and she felt she could relax more after breathing it in. She noticed Veronica turned more towards her and ran her finger along the suede material of the couch absentmindedly. A silence fell among them, but it wasn’t awkward in any way like a few days ago. It felt comfortable, like they could sit there and listen to the other’s breathing patterns and smell each other’s scent for the rest of the night.

“You look good Betty, I know I said that before,” Veronica spoke up, shifting closer to Betty. She rubbed her arms with her hands. “Sorry it’s a little cold.”

“I can turn up the heat some more if you want…or get you a blanket?”

“I’m ok,” Veronica waved her off before Betty could budge. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a ponytail until Friday, and you’ve really stepped up your makeup skills.”

“I mean it has been four years, I was bound to grow up some,” Betty shrugged.

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect you to get _hot._ Betty, you were girl-next-door cute in high school, but now you’re girl-I-ran-into-at-the-bar hot. _Look_ at that eyeshadow,” Veronica pointed out, leaning forward to observe the pink hue that covered Betty’s eyelids. “W-O-W.”

Betty giggled, “You’re the one to talk, walking into that Italian restaurant like you rule Manhattan.”

“Um, I do rule Manhattan,” Veronica laughed, moving back only slightly away from Betty. “If not all five boroughs too.”

“Well, I’m still the same Betty from four years ago in Lake George…at least on the inside,” Betty said, her voice going hushed as Veronica continued to hover close to her. She felt her pulse pick up as she could smell Veronica’s perfume stronger than ever before.

“That you are, I can tell,” Veronica said softly back, a smile teased her pink glossed lips. “Once I saw you, it all came flooding back.”

“We didn’t really have a proper goodbye four years ago, did we?” Betty asked, biting her lip in thought.

Veronica shrugged, “That just goes to show that we’d meet again someday…somehow...”

“Ronnie?” Betty asked, as Veronica looked at her lips and back up into her eyes.

“Yeah B?” Veronica answered, creeping closer to Betty.

“I’m glad we met again,” Betty admitted, noticing Veronica’s tongue dart out to wet her lips. Betty’s eyes flickered down to watch intently before staring back up into Veronica’s dark brown eyes.

It was as if simultaneously they had both decided to lean forward and close the gap between them. Betty partially blamed the smell of Veronica’s perfume, the fact she allowed Veronica to stay with her in her apartment all alone, and how Veronica looked at Betty in such a way that made her crumble beneath her gaze. The first thing Betty registered was that Veronica’s top lip tasted of the lip gloss she was wearing and that Veronica’s hands were cupping her face gently as if she were china. Their kiss was tentative, soft, inviting. As if to nonverbally ask the other “is this ok?”, and to relish in the soft texture of their lips, ones that had not touched since they were sixteen.

Betty’s hand travelled up Veronica’s thigh as they kissed again, this time Betty caught Veronica’s bottom lip between hers. Her bottom lip was fuller, and she sucked on it gently and tugged a little harder than the first kiss as they relaxed into it. Betty sucked in a breath through her nose, and felt Veronica’s thumb rest on her chin. Her hand that had been traveling up her thigh rested itself on Veronica’s hip, gripping the material of her black skirt tightly as Veronica rotated their heads to deepen the kiss.

Their kisses soon grew hungry, building up momentum like a beautiful song. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional car zooming by the house and the wet noises of their lips finding familiarity in each other. It was clear that the two women were more practiced than they had been at sixteen, as the kisses now were less sloppy and they were able to find a rhythm faster. Veronica’s tongue swiped Betty’s bottom lip, and Betty eagerly opened her mouth in response. Their tongues met as if they had been a couple reunited after years away at war, ecstatically dancing and feeling the other.

Veronica broke for air, panting wildly as she pushed back on Betty’s shoulders and climbed onto her lap. Betty was panting equally as hard, and opened her eyes to look up at Veronica. Her pupils were blown and looked hungrily down at Betty like a snack she was going to devour. Betty barely had time to take another breath before Veronica cupped her face and pulled her back down towards her lips, practically bruising them as she clashed them together.

When they were teenagers, Betty would’ve been hesitant to lay hands on Veronica in a non-platonic way. She was shy and also respectful, and didn’t want to do anything that Veronica wouldn’t like. Things were still like that four years later, but also different. Now, Betty wasn’t as shy anymore, and with the way Veronica was lightly nipping her bottom lip between kisses and running her hands in Betty’s hair, she could tell what Veronica would and wouldn’t like. The hands that were on Veronica’s hips slid around back and took a handful of her backside, pulling Veronica even closer to Betty as their lips hungrily moved in sync.

Using her grip on Veronica’s ass and the force from her pull, Veronica’s hips ground down onto Betty’s lap to create friction between Veronica’s center and Betty’s jeans. Betty felt Veronica’s muffled moan in her mouth. Their lips detached as the moan became more audible and louder. It wasn’t a quiet moan, but she heard louder from the brunette on top of her. That was all it took for Veronica to begin the rhythm of slowly grinding down on Betty’s lap, continuing to kiss the blonde below her as if _this_ was the last time they’d ever see each other again.

“ _Bed_ ,” Veronica whispered, her voice commanding as she kissed the side of Betty’s mouth and down to her jaw.

Betty obeyed immediately, and wrapped her arms around Veronica’s waist to hold her. She stood up quickly, and felt Veronica’s legs wrap tightly around her hips. It was a miracle that Betty found her way to her bedroom without being able to see because Veronica was back to kissing and nipping at her lips.

When her knees touched the edge of the bed, she practically threw Veronica down and climbed on top of her. Veronica watched Betty with swollen lips and a heaving chest as Betty towered over her, and she spread her legs willingly so that Betty could settle herself between them.

For a moment, the two stared at the other. They watched the way the moonlight illuminated their faces with a blue hue, how their lips were swollen and reddening, how they couldn’t seem to catch their breath. If the voice of reason had returned to both of their heads, now would be where they both would realize that they were in relationships and really should stop. But, when you haven’t seen your first and only love in four years, the emotions catch up with you and the voice of reason never returns.

Realizing she was on her back, Veronica tried to flip them over by twisting to the side. She couldn’t catch Betty off guard though, who steadied Veronica beneath her easily. She wasn’t going to let Veronica get her way of topping this time, things were different.

“Not such a bottom anymore now, are we Cooper?” Veronica teased, giggling beneath her.

Betty didn’t respond, and instead lowered her mouth to Veronica’s pulse point by her ear. She had discovered the sensitive spot in Veronica’s room at her lake house, experimenting with the sounds Veronica made as she paid attention to certain spots of her neck. This spot-on Veronica’s neck triggered a loud and audible moan from her as Betty sucked harshly.

“N-No marks there,” Veronica said, her voice quivering yet stern.

“Shut up, Veronica,” Betty practically hissed in response, immediately returning to bite and suck a trail down her neck.

“ _Woah,_ that was hot as fuck,” Veronica admitted, gripping Betty’s hair with both hands. She rotated her neck to give Betty access, and relished in how good it felt for Betty to be paying this much attention to her neck. Soft moans soon began to escape from her lips as Betty continued the attack on her neck.

All the while, Veronica felt a hand untucking her long-sleeved shirt out from her skirt, skating past the taut bare skin of her stomach. She clenched the muscles of her stomach as Betty’s hand confidently traveled up, and began to tug it over her head. Veronica lifted her arms so it could be done so easily, and soon found herself in just a navy-blue bra underneath Betty Cooper.

Betty looked at her lustfully, running her hand over her smooth skin and over the fabric of her bra. It was just like the last time, but somehow this time was even better. Even though Veronica was bottoming, she would not let Betty take all of the control away from her. She sat up in Betty’s bed and began to pull the gorgeous beige sweater Betty was wearing over her head, eager to see some more of Betty’s skin. Betty’s bra was a pale pink, a fitting color for someone like her.

Veronica licked her lips and pulled Betty back down onto her, both hands reached up to palm Betty’s chest over her bra. Betty moaned for the first time into her mouth, as Veronica knew just how sensitive her boobs were. When Betty panted over the skin of her neck before latching on again, Veronica felt a rush of heat to her core.

She was surprised when she felt Betty’s hand shamelessly travel up her thigh, which pushed up her skirt in the process. In response, Veronica’s hands could not stop roaming Betty’s body, her arms, collar bones, stomach. Anywhere she could get to.

Veronica drew a sharp intake of breath when she felt two of Betty’s fingers rub her center over her lace panties, causing her legs to squeeze Betty’s waist in pleasure. She squirmed beneath Betty and moaned in frustration, her hips lifting to try to create more friction with the two fingers. Veronica could feel the smile on Betty’s lips as she kissed her, relishing in what she could do to Veronica.

Betty wasn’t one to beat around the bush in these moments, and her strokes over Veronica’s panties became quicker and pushed harder.

“Fuck,” Veronica hissed, moving to bite Betty’s own neck.

It felt like Betty was continuing her actions for only a few more seconds before Veronica’s skirt was at her ankles and her blue lace panties were being pushed to the side so that Betty could sink her two fingers slowly inside Veronica. Veronica cried out in pleasure and her head fell back onto the pillows. To Betty, Veronica felt hot and wet against her fingers, almost tightly entrapping them so that the only way they could go was in more.

She kissed Veronica slowly and with care as she began to pump two fingers in and out of her, taking in how she began to pant and moan. Her breathing became more erratic with each stroke, and Betty made sure that her palm brushed Veronica’s clit with each inward motion.

“Whatever you do, do _not_ stop what you’re doing,” Veronica said, breathlessly.

Betty felt a gush of wetness coat her fingers, and angled them deeper inside of Veronica. She was glad that she didn’t seem to be out of practice, and could feel her own wetness pooling in her panties just listening and watching Veronica.

Veronica’s hips rocked to meet Betty’s fingers, trying to keep up with her quick pace. Her hands were everywhere, but had found their place gripping Betty’s white sheets. Her bra covered chest heaved heavily, making her cleavage look inviting for her mouth.

Betty couldn’t resist the urge, and leaned down to bite and suck on any free skin of her chest. One of Veronica’s hands flew to her hair, and Betty used her own free hand to unclasp the bra behind Veronica. Betty slid the straps over Veronica’s shoulders and down her arms, and tossed it behind her hastily.

As the continued to pump her fingers into Veronica, she licked a stripe over Veronica’s dusky left nipple. It hardened under her tongue as she swirled it around, taking in the whimpers and moans of the brunette beneath her.

“ _Shit,_ I’m close,” Veronica said, her voice breathless. Betty picked up the pace of her fingers, and felt Veronica tighten around them more.

Veronica’s climax came loudly, and Betty prayed the neighbors who lived above she and Kevin couldn’t hear her. She was glad that Kevin was out, he definitely would’ve heard it if he was there and Betty had no idea how she’d explain that one to him. Veronica’s back arched off the bed and she grabbed for Betty’s forearms harshly. Her body trembled under Betty and her legs locked themselves around the blonde as Betty watched in awe. It was just as good if not better as the last time that Betty had witnessed it. Veronica’s dark brown hair was disheveled all over Betty’s pillows, there was a thin layer of sweat covering her body, and her eyes were closed tightly.

It took her a few minutes to come down and for her breathing to steady. She didn’t open her eyes until Betty pulled her fingers out of the brunette and moved to lay down next to Veronica.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Veronica asked, mischievously. “It’s your turn.”

Betty didn’t have time to speak up that Veronica didn’t have to do anything as Veronica was already climbing on top of her and pushing her back into the pillows. Veronica captured her lips in a steamy kiss, and ran her tongue easily inside Betty’s mouth. Veronica’s hands slid behind Betty, easily unclipping her pale pink bra and tugging it down her arms. When their bare chests touched completely, Betty groaned and grabbed Veronica around the waist. When Veronica took control, Betty could only follow along willingly. She liked when Veronica took charge, she was determined and strong-willed…it carried over in bed too unsurprisingly.

Betty soon felt Veronica’s mouth move from her lips down her neck and down her chest, pushing Betty into the pillows more and more with each open-mouthed kiss. Betty’s body felt like it was in sensation overload, the only thing she could focus on was the wet marks Veronica left on her stomach and the strongly tingling sensation she felt deep in her core.

She was so focused on the feeling of Veronica kissing her body that she barely registered when Veronica said, “now, let’s get these off you,” and promptly slid her jeans and panties down her legs in one motion.

It was Betty’s turn now to grip the sheets, she swore she could see stars when she felt Veronica’s hot breath on her most intimate area. Veronica’s hands ran up and down Betty’s thighs as she kissed them slowly. Betty squirmed in anticipation, but Veronica held her down with the hands on her thighs. It didn’t take long for Veronica to give in, and Betty let out a soft moan as Veronica’s tongue slowly licked up her center.

“Still taste as good as I remember,” Veronica giggled, which someone sounded extremely sexy.

Veronica’s lips latched onto Betty’s clit, throwing Betty into a fit of noises as she tried to maintain her composure. Veronica had done the exact same thing four years ago, although now she seemed to be at least eight times better. Betty was squirming with pleasure the last time, but this feeling in her core seemed to have tripled. Veronica’s tongue swirled around and in all directions, and Betty wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

Her head was thrown back on the pillow and her eyes were squeezed shut, but something inside her made her want to look down at the brunette. The second she found enough strength to look down, Veronica’s dark brown eyes shot back up at her. Their eyes hungrily locked, and Betty couldn’t tear her green eyes away from the woman on her bed eating her out.

Veronica was hunched over with her ass raised in the air, allowing Betty to see the curve of her backside and her flawless tan skin. Betty practically orgasmed from the sight itself, but could not take her eyes off of Veronica, who was still looking right back up at her.

It took probably less than five minutes for Betty to climax, not as loud as Veronica but still noticeably loud. Veronica kept her eyes trained on Betty the whole time, who stared right back at her. Veronica’s tongue and mouth worked wonders, her face and chin wet as she slid up Betty’s body to kiss her.

Betty could taste herself on Veronica’s lips and tongue, pushing the stray strands of dark brown hair out of Veronica’s face. Their kiss was soft, relishing in what they had just done to the other. It reminded Betty of how much more their relationship was than the physicality, both had a deep care for the other. Betty felt that in Veronica’s touch, how she cupped her cheek and lightly kissed her. The butterflies in Betty’s stomach erupted once again and she almost felt shy as she took in every detail of Veronica’s lips.

They pulled away slowly, staying close so that their noses touched lightly. Betty held onto Veronica’s waist as their eyes fluttered open, and was greeted by a small smile from the brunette. Veronica wiped the hair out of Betty’s face and tucked it behind her ear, ghosting her lips against Betty’s nose in a light kiss.

Neither said anything, there was nothing to say. Both knew in the back of their minds what they were doing and how wrong it was considering the fact they both were dating other people. But, that didn’t matter in Betty’s room, where they silenced their consciousness by kissing the other so passionately it felt like the air was sucked from their lungs.

The night continued this way, with breaks to kiss and stare at the other in the moonlight in between. Betty was soon reminded of how compassionate Veronica was, with the way she let Betty snuggle into her body after both grew exhausted. They laid under the bedsheets completely naked, with Veronica tracking patterns into Betty’s back. After a while, Veronica fit herself into the small of Betty’s back and wrapped an arm securely around her middle. Betty sighed in content, it had to at least be 3am by now. Veronica made it really easy to fall asleep by kissing her shoulder and nuzzling into her neck.

The consequences and guilt from their actions could wait a few more hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like that gif of the girl on the phone going "i'm going to give the gays everything they want"
> 
> happy late thanksgiving, there is something for you to feast on! this took the entirety of my thanksgiving break to write and i finished it on my plane home.


	6. Five

A slamming of a door nearby awoke Betty with a start, and she lifted her head off her pillow to look blindly around her bedroom. Her bedroom was full of sunlight, it must be almost midday. After all, she hadn’t fallen asleep until at least 4am. The door that had slammed sounded like her front door and she heard the sound of Kevin greeting their cat shortly after. _Kevin._

Betty realized that curled up into her side was a naked Veronica, sleeping peacefully with her nose resting on Betty’s shoulder. She looked peaceful, innocent almost, despite what they had just done. Veronica’s skin was flawless, and she still smelled like that god damn Chanel perfume. Veronica slept with her mouth slightly open, a mouth breather in her sleep. She breathed deeply, not fazed by the sound of Kevin entering the apartment. Veronica moved in her sleep, and shifted so that Betty caught sight of dark purpling marks down her neck and chest.

Her eyes widened in shock because _fuck_ she really did all that to Veronica? For a few moments, she had thought she had dreamt up her whole rendezvous with the brunette, but no. It had happened and the evidence was strewn all over her room in various clothing articles and a body wrapped up into her side.

Panic set in on Betty as the reality of the situation and probable consequences entered her head. Kevin was _right_ outside the door, if he saw Veronica… God, as much as Kevin was her friend she knew he would not approve of her bedding Veronica when both of them had boyfriends.

“ _Veronica,_ ” Betty hissed, wiggling out of their comfortable cuddling position.

At the sudden change in position, Veronica’s eyes fluttered open as her face grew with confusion. She blinked slowly, and stared up at Betty.

“Um, do you realize how early it-,” Veronica couldn’t finish, as Betty put her hand over the woman’s mouth. She was talking too loud, Kevin could probably hear.

“Kevin is in the apartment, if he sees you he’ll freak,” Betty panicked. “You need to leave.”

“Ouch? Kicking me out like I’m someone you picked up off the street?” Veronica frowned, and sat up in bed. Betty got a better view of the marks she had left on Veronica, who begrudgingly got up and began to search for her clothes.

“Do you realize what we did?” Betty whispered, looking for pajamas to put on in her dresser. If she went out to talk to Kevin she wanted to make it look believable that nothing suspicious had happened.

“Yeah, I do,” Veronica returned, clipping her bra behind her back.

“God, what about Archie and Jughead _? Oh my God_ ,” Betty gasped, putting her hand over her mouth in shock. She felt the guilt in her stomach and a sudden urge to call Archie up and tell him everything. How could she do that to her best friend?

“Betty, relax,” Veronica said, walking over to Betty in just her bra. “Just take a deep breath.”

Looking at Veronica did not help the situation as more guilty thoughts entered her mind, “Ok… we probably just needed to get that out of our systems. It was inevitable, right?” she asked, as she began to ramble in panic. “I mean, I haven’t seen you in four years and you’re like the first person I had done anything with and there was definitely things and feelings left unsaid.”

Veronica raised her eyebrows, “Are you trying to convince that to me or yourself?”

Veronica looked very unimpressed and stone faced, whereas Betty felt like she was inches away from a panic attack. Betty sighed, “Look, Archie is a _great_ guy and he _really_ likes you.”

“So, you want this to be a one-time thing,” Veronica finished, turning back to pick up the rest of her clothes. “Like you said, just to get it out of our systems?”

“Well-,”

“No, I get it Betty,” Veronica snapped, cutting her off. “You want me to stay with Archie and you’ll stay with Jughead. We forget this ever happened and life goes on.”

“I don’t mean for it to be like that,” Betty said, putting a hand on Veronica’s shoulder. Veronica yanked her shoulder away from Betty in response. “V…”

“Just stop,” Veronica huffed. “Go find a way to get Kevin out of sight so I can leave.”

Betty stared at the back of Veronica’s head, unsure of what to do. Making up her mind, she exited her bedroom to convince Kevin to go and grab her a coffee. After all, he did owe her after she paid for their Uber once.

\-- 

“Wow, look at you! The walk of shame is strong.”

Veronica’s roommate Josie said it the moment Veronica entered their shared apartment, laughing over her mug of coffee from the living room couch. Veronica was not in a good mood, and didn’t even glance in Josie’s direction as she kicked off her shoes and put her coat in the closet.

“I thought you took Archie back to the train station last night?” Josie asked, setting down her mug. She stood up and crossed the room to approach Veronica. “Did you guys get so caught up in lust that you rented a hotel room? _Holy shit_! Girl… your _neck_!”

“Okay, before you say anything more about Archie, he went back on the train as planned,” Veronica sighed, as Josie touched the purple hickies on her neck.

“ _Shut up_! You fucked the blonde girl that you used to see during the summer, didn’t you?” Josie gasped. “Looks like it went well.”

Long story short, Josie knew everything about Veronica and Betty’s complicated past and present. She heard every detail, and she had seen photos of Betty from Instagram. Though she didn’t say it, Veronica knew she was low-key rooting for them to end up together. But then again, she also voiced her positive opinion of Archie.

“That’s the thing, she told me this morning to _stay with Archie,_ ” Veronica said, pouring herself her own coffee.

“Stay with Archie? Were you not that good of a fuck?” Josie asked, as Veronica sat down next to her.

Veronica laughed, “ _I am_ a good fuck, I know that. I can tell she just feels guilty, I mean she has a boyfriend too. Not to mention Archie is her childhood best friend, they literally have lived right next to each other since elementary school.”

“Well…do you want to stay with Archie?” Josie asked. It was something Veronica had spent a while thinking about as well, does she even like Archie that much? He was cute, had nice brown eyes, a superb body, and really seemed to care for her. But, he was boring. There was no interesting piece of information about Archie that set him aside from anyone else she had ever met. He was a typical cute guy, but there were fifteen other guys just like him that she knew.

Veronica shrugged, “He’s great, don’t get me wrong. But-.”

“But, he totally can’t compete with his hot, female, best friend,” Josie finished.

“Yeah…I guess.”

“So, are you going to break up with him?”

Veronica shook her head, “Betty wants me to stay with him, and he’s not that bad. Just boring. I’ll stay with him and see how long it takes of me hanging around them together that she wakes up and decides she’d rather have me than watch me all over Archie.”

“Wow, that’s like a little petty. But, I love it,” Josie said, a smile teasing her lips as she sipped her coffee. “Veronica Lodge’s plan to take back Betty Cooper is a go!”

“I just wish she wasn’t so stupid and would’ve said, ‘I think it’s time we break up with our boyfriends.’ _Noooo_ , she had to be the considerate one who looks out for other people’s feelings,” Veronica groaned.

“Well, you are dating her best friend after all. There’s probably going to be some drama if you leave him for his best friend,” Josie pointed out.

“Yeah but it’s not like she and I didn’t know each other! We spent like two summers just making out and feeling up each other!” Veronica groaned.

“Does he know that?”

“No…I guess he doesn’t.”

 --

Betty had been so stressed about the fact Veronica was in her apartment, she didn’t think to look at how purple _her_ neck was when she walked out of her bedroom. Kevin looked at her from the fridge, smiling in greeting until he noticed her neck.

“I guess you had fun last night too,” Kevin laughed. “Jughead finally came around?”

Betty’s hand snapped up to her neck, unable to feel the visible marks Veronica had left. Getting Kevin to run out to get coffee was an event in itself, but nothing could get the guilty and embarrassing feeling out of her stomach. Even after Veronica left.

Veronica didn’t text or call her at all two weeks after the night they spent together. Although disappointed, Betty knew she shouldn’t expect her to have sent her a message. It was probably better that way, since Betty felt even more guilty every time she even thought about Veronica. It was so bad that she finally cracked and called Jughead. She needed to tell him what happened, and invited him over to talk. He seemed wary on the phone but agreed.  

“Hey Betty,” Jughead said, when Betty opened the door to her apartment. He was wearing the same hat he always did, and had his hands shoved into his leather jacket. He looked solemn, tired, a writer with ideas for new stories swirling in his head.

“Hey Jug,” Betty sighed, doing her best to smile.

He entered her apartment, leaving on the leather jacket and his boots. It was odd of him, he usually kicked his boots off and left them in a heap near the door. Maybe he already knew about what she and Veronica did? Betty’s stomach churned.

“Look, I have something that I need to get off my chest,” Betty said, as they both sat on the couch in her living room.

“I actually have something I wanted to say too,” Jughead sighed.

“Oh…” Betty felt taken aback. “You do?”

“Yeah, could I go first?” Jughead asked, taking his hands out of his pocket. “I just have learnt of some things that I can’t ignore.”

Betty’s heartrate quickened, Veronica must have told him!

“I want to break up.”

 _“What?”_ Betty asked, that was not something that she expected from him. Realizing she said that out loud, she cleared her throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I’m just kind of shocked and confused. Why?”

“It’s not you, Betty,” Jughead sighed. “It’s _everyone._ I’m really just not into anyone, I thought you’d be an exception because you’re really into writing and are really pretty, but no.”

“Wait, so you don’t like me?” Betty asked, relief rushing into her veins.

“No! I do! But, like as a friend,” Jughead said quickly. “And I like doing things with you, but like just friendly things. Movie marathons is fun, going for cheeseburgers at 3am is fun. Kissing and all that…not so much. But, it’s not just you it’s literally the same with everyone. I just…don’t really feel a romantic attraction for anyone.”

“Wow Jughead, I-,”

“Please don’t be upset. It’s really not like that, I just think we’re better off as friends,” Jughead said. “And I’ve really appreciated the affection you’ve showed me.”

“No no, I’m saying that I get it,” Betty said, putting a hand on top of Jughead’s. “I was kind of feeling that way about us too, like you’re definitely more of a friend than a boyfriend. I kind of had the feeling you were feeling the same way.”

“Well, since that’s out there…what is it that you wanted to tell me?” Jughead asked, sighing in relief. It seemed as if a large weight had been taken off his chest.

Betty bit her lip, “Nothing. No, it really doesn’t matter. Why don’t we just watch movies, you know as friends?”

“Yeah…yeah that’s a good idea,” Jughead said, reaching down to unlace his boots. “We never finished ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.’”

“Oh right…let me pull that up,” Betty said, reaching for the remote.

Sitting with Jughead, watching movies as friends…it was relieving. She was happy he was honest with her as it eased the nerves and guilt in her stomach some. However, as the movie continued to play the thoughts swarmed in her head and the guilty feeling returned.

Betty reached for the remote and hastily paused the movie, causing Jughead to look at her in confusion from where he sat on the couch. His confused face turned to concern as he saw the panic written on his ex-girlfriend’s face.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” he asked, frowning so much that she could see the lines on his forehead.

“I cheated on you!” Betty blurted out, unable to contain it any longer.

Jughead’s frown turned to bewilderment, and Betty expected him to get up and walk out of the apartment.

“You…” Jughead began to process what she had said.

“I cheated on you! With Veronica! We had sex two weeks ago, I’m so sorry,” Betty cried, putting her head in her hands. She had spent sleepless nights crying quietly in her bed, unable to sleep in the place where she and Veronica had stayed up all night given each other constant pleasure.

Surprisingly, she felt a hand run along her back and the couch sink next to her. The familiar smell of Jughead’s cologne filled her nose, and she felt his warm embrace envelope her. She fell into his arms and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder as heavy sobs escaped her mouth.

He didn’t say anything, instead just patted her back in consolation. How could she do something like this to a guy as nice as Jughead…or someone who had been there for her like Archie?

When she finally pulled herself together enough to stop crying and let go of Jughead, she looked at him with tear stained eyes. He didn’t look angry or upset, just confused.

“Didn’t you just meet Veronica two weeks ago?” Jughead asked. Of course, he was confused, he didn’t know. No one did.

Betty wiped her eyes and sniffled, “No, we’ve known each other since we were sophomores in high school. But, that night was the first time we had seen each other after four years.”

“Oh…and your relationship was romantic when you were sophomores?”

“We spent our time in Lake George during the summer running around and making out everywhere we could. Seeing each other just threw us both for a loop and I guess reality threw itself out the window,” Betty sighed. “Are you upset with me? I totally would get if you never wanted to talk to me again.”

Jughead stared at her, the frown on his face easing, “No, Betty, I’m not upset with you. I get it.”

“You do?” Betty asked, shocked at Jughead’s reaction to this.

“I mean, I know we really didn’t do much while we were together and that’s my fault…”

“ _No!_ No, it’s not like that,” Betty said, waving her hands frantically. “This is my fault, it’s a decision I made that had nothing to do with you or what we did together.”

“Does Archie know?” Jughead asked.

Betty groaned and laid back on the couch, “No… I don’t know if I should tell him. If I do, he’ll probably hate me forever. He’s practically in love with Veronica already, I can’t.”

“That’s probably a good idea, you know to keep quiet,” Jughead shrugged. “But, they’ve only known each other for what…like two months?”

“Yeah, but you know Archie. He’s probably already saving up to buy her a huge ass ring and building her a house on his own out in Connecticut somewhere,” Betty said, sitting back up.

Jughead chuckled, “Veronica would never move out of New York City, so there’s something to be said there.”

Betty smiled weakly, “I know. You know what I mean, he’s swooning. I mean, who wouldn’t be? She got me wrapped up in her all over again.”

“Maybe there’s something to think about from what you’ve just said… she comes back into your life after four years and the feelings come back. I know I’m just a writer with a book that’s never been published, but there may be more to this than your lust for each other,” Jughead said.

Betty shrugged, “I mean I’m sure there is, I get all clammy palmed and my stomach flops when I see her.”

“You’re skating on thin ice, but you should think about how you want to play this,” Jughead said, putting a hand on Betty’s knee. “You can watch Archie and Veronica run off and get married, or you can tell Archie the truth and hope that he doesn’t tear off your matching friendship bracelets.”

“We don’t have matching friendship bracelets!”

Jughead laughed, “With how you two act around each other, might as well. Now come on, let’s go get a burger. That always makes me feel better.”

 --

The beginning of Thanksgiving break came the next day, bringing relief to Betty that she could leave the sins of the city behind and escape back to her childhood home tucked away in Rockland county. She and Kevin packed a suitcase and took the train from Grand Central to Riverdale Platform, a short hour trip through the light snow that was falling upon New York State. In that short hour, Betty had to explain to Kevin that Jughead had broken up with her and that she had decided to become a nun. She was joking of course, but even when she said it aloud she considered becoming one.

Her mother picked her up from the station, smiling and giving her a warm hug. Betty did her best to look equally as happy, already missing her fat cat and humble apartment. The neighbors were taking care of him, but she knew he got lonely sometimes.

Things went smoothly and Betty almost forgot about Veronica and what happened. Being back home made her feel like she was in high school again, since she hadn’t really changed the décor since her senior year. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving rolled around and her mother announced that they were invited over to the Andrews’s this year. Last year, the Andrews’s had burnt their turkey so bad that they ended up surrounding the Cooper’s dining room table for dinner instead. Her mother informed Betty happily that they were returning the favor this year, and only requested that she bring her famous apple pie over.

Betty’s stomach flopped as they walked across their snow-covered yard and up to Archie’s front door. She hadn’t seen Archie since they all had dinner two weeks ago, could she keep it together around him?

Archie opened the door with a large smile on his face. He was wearing a forest green wool sweater and dark jeans, quickly shaking her father’s hand as he held the door open. He hugged Betty tightly once she entered the house after Polly, voicing how much he had missed her. Betty felt guilt spring up in her stomach, but it was tolerable. She had almost convinced herself that she should put it behind her for Archie’s sake.

Betty felt Archie’s dog Spotty at her legs, causing them to break apart. She bent down to rub Spotty’s ears, until she caught sight of someone who did not have red hair on Archie’s couch. She froze in place, _Veronica._

Veronica looked up at her in the same instant, and they locked eyes with each other momentarily before the dark-haired woman got up to greet Betty’s family.

“I didn’t know Veronica was coming,” Betty said to Archie, straightening up next to him.

“Well…it was kind of last minute. She said her family plans fell through and she really wanted to come to Riverdale,” Archie shrugged. “Do you want a soda?”

Betty laughed as she continued to watch Veronica, “Got any hard alcohol?”

Archie laughed, “I mean I’m sure my dad does somewhere.”

Betty smiled weakly, “Your girlfriend looks like a deer in headlights meeting my family, go help her.”

Archie nodded and walked towards Veronica, sliding an arm behind her back once he reached her. She was wearing a black skirt and a red Christmas sweater, and Betty couldn’t help but notice her legs seemed to go on forever.

“Betty come meet Archie’s girlfriend!” Alice said, motioning for Betty to come over. “She goes to college in the city too!”

Betty watched as Veronica whispered something to Archie and kissed his cheek. She ran her hand over his stomach and bit her lip as she looked at him. Archie blushed tomato red and laughed nervously, trying to keep his composure in front of the Cooper’s. Veronica locked eyes with Betty immediately after what she did to Archie, as if she was egging Betty on. Her eyes said all, Betty could see it. The guilt in Betty’s stomach quickly replaced itself with a pulsing anger. She suddenly felt extremely hot in her sweater, and her fists clenched tightly. Veronica knew what she was doing, and Betty was not going to have it.

“I’ve already met her,” Betty mumbled, heading towards the bathroom. “Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this entire story has been written under the impression of marijuana. 
> 
> also, i really love and appreciate archie and betty together. i'm kind of upset the cw is hinting at the fact they're going to get together, because it just enforces the stereotype that boy/girl best friends can't just be best friends. well guess what cw, this story will have platonic archie/betty and their friendship will be wholesome and pure.
> 
> btw, i really like writing about betty and veronica so i'll probably write more for them after this story is over. if you have any suggestions or tropes about betty and veronica lemme know.


	7. Six

“I heard about what happened.”

Betty froze, and turned around to see Archie. His head was angled down slightly, but he was looking straight at her. His hands were shoved in his pants pockets, standing absolutely still as snowflakes drifted into his hair and onto his shoulders.

“I-…I-I, um-,” Betty stuttered, unsure of what to say. Her pace quickened, and despite it being cold outside she began to feel hot.

“About you and Jughead,” Archie finished, making Betty sigh in relief. “He, um, told me about it a few days ago.”

Betty had gone outside onto the Andrews’ porch, desperate to escape from the disgusting PDA that Veronica Lodge was pushing onto Archie. Throughout Thanksgiving dinner, she practically stared googly eyes at him, and Betty walked in on them kissing in the living room. It made Betty’s blood boil, and she clenched her fists tightly in order to remain calm.

“I’m surprised you saw me come out here,” Betty said, crossing her arms. “You actually took a breath from making out with your girlfriend _._ ”

Betty didn’t mean to be so harsh to Archie, and felt instant regret on how the words hissed out of her mouth. She was just frustrated from how Veronica was trying to ham things up between she and Archie, clearly disgruntled with Betty’s decision to remain friends.

Archie sighed, “You know it’s not like that, Betty. You’ve been my best friend since elementary school. I notice when things are off with you.”

Archie stepped forward slowly, she knew _he_ knew something was up. His concerned face said it all, but Betty would not cry in front of Archie Andrews and risk spilling everything to him. She stared up at him once he was a foot away from her, looked up into his soft brown eyes and wondered if he could read her mind.

Without saying a word, Archie opened his arms and stepped forward. Betty reached for him as well, allowing herself to be enveloped into a firm hug. Archie wrapped his arm around her and put his cheek on the top of her head. Betty sighed into his arms, and rested her chin on his shoulder. She needed a hug from Archie, they made everything better to her. The snow continued to fall onto their heads and shoulders, but the pair remained hugging.

Archie had never been good at giving advice or anything like that. Instead he hugged when things were hard. Betty was used to him hugging her after she told him her problems, a thing harder to do when he was Boston and she in New York City. But, just like old times here they stood. They didn’t say anything, Betty was focusing on keeping her breathing even. Archie was focused on rubbing her back.

She caught eye of someone watching them through the window, standing a few feet away trying not to be noticed. But, Betty noticed Veronica standing there. She was looking at them with a stone-cold expression, unsure of what to do. Her eyes were soft though, as if realizing just _why_ Betty didn’t want Veronica to break up with him. Betty locked eyes with Veronica, who gulped visibly before retreating into the living room.

It was at least five minutes later before Archie let go of Betty, who was feeling much better from their hug. It was as if he had absorbed the stress and guilt into his sweater and stored it in his back pocket. The weight on her shoulders and chest had been lifted thanks to Archie who was smiling somberly down at her.

“It’ll be ok, Betty,” he said, rubbing her arms soothingly. “You’ll find someone kickass someday.”

Betty snorted, “Thanks Archie.”

“Is that the only thing that’s been bothering you?” he asked.

 _No,_ she wanted to tell him. “Yeah, it’s just a little rough since it happened a few days ago. But, I had a feeling that he wasn’t that into our relationship,” she lied.

Truth be told, she was extremely relieved by the ending of she and Jughead’s relationship. But, if she could leave Archie thinking that her negative mood stemmed only from their breakup, she’d avoid more prying questions.

“Do you want to lay down and I’ll point out some constellations to you?” he asked, motioning to the two lounge chairs on the other side of his porch.

Betty sighed and smiled, “That’d be great.”

Archie smiled back and motioned to the two lounge chairs. He knew exactly what to do to take Betty’s mind off things. Distracting her by looking at stars? What would she do without her best friend?

 --

“What was wrong with Betty?” Veronica asked, not looking up from her phone as Archie climbed under the covers next to her. His childhood bed was only a full-size, so things were a bit tight compared to Veronica’s spacious king-sized bed in her apartment. She glanced at him as he reached for his charger to plug in his phone.

“She was just down about the fact Jughead broke up with her a few days ago,” Archie sighed, leaning back amongst the pillows.

Veronica looked up from her phone, frowning as she turned to look at Archie. Were her ears deceiving her?

“Wait _what_?” Veronica asked, surprise in her voice.

Archie shrugged, “Yeah I know, I was rooting for them.”

“Me too,” Veronica lied, opening up the messages on her phone.

**Veronica: Josie!! Jughead broke up with Betty!**

“Maybe you could talk to her? I don’t know, she seems down,” Archie mumbled, as he got comfortable under his covers.

“Yeah, I’ll text her,” Veronica sighed, though she knew it was a complete lie.

**Josie: What?? Do you think she told him and he broke up with her?**

**Veronica: God I hope not. Jughead is friends with Archie, so if she told him and he got so mad he broke up with her Archie would know by now.**

“Do you still want me to come down next weekend?” Archie asked. “I had a paper, but I think I can finish it on the train.”

“Yeah! Of course, I do,” Veronica smiled. “Do you still want to go clubbing?”

Archie chuckled, “I still have my fake ID. Only a few more months until I won’t need it anymore…do you think we could invite Betty and Kevin too? It may cheer Betty up.”

**Josie: True…one step closer to your girl!**

Veronica looked up from Josie’s text and smiled sweetly, “Of course!”

Another opportunity to be all over Archie in front of Betty? She’d take it. Archie smiled up at her, probably happy because he thought his girlfriend and his best friend were getting along. He leaned up and kissed her, putting a hand on her neck to pull her down into him. Veronica kissed back, faintly tasting Betty’s mom’s apple pie and mashed potatoes on his lips.

His hand reached for the waistband of her shorts, and she pulled away from his kiss quickly when she felt his cold fingers on her stomach.

“Not tonight,” she said, kissing his forehead quickly. “I think I ate too much.”

She saw the familiar hurt in Archie’s eyes, but he hid it behind a sad smile. Her lie was spontaneous, but it was true that her stomach felt queasy whenever she kissed him. 

“It’s ok, V,” he sighed, snuggling back under the covers. “Another night.”

 --

The only reason Betty agreed to go clubbing with Archie, Veronica, and Kevin was because she knew that she said no, Veronica would know she was getting to her. And Betty was _not_ going to let Veronica believe she cared, in fact she was going to show Veronica she was unbothered. Even though she definitely did care and she felt the bile on the back on her tongue when she thought about them, she wasn’t going to show it.

Instead of letting Veronica know that she was bothered, Betty pulled on a black spaghetti strap crop top and a short white skirt. Although it was below freezing outside, she knew the club would be so hot that wearing anything denser meant sweating like a pig.

When she walked out of her room to find Kevin, his eyes opened wide in shock.

“And why do you look hotter than usual?” Kevin asked, standing up from the couch. He was holding Louis in his arms, who watched Betty intently.

Betty felt herself blush, “I think it’s just the tight clothing. I don’t wear revealing stuff like this often.”

“And you’re wearing _falsies_ on your lashes. Must be the fact you’re newly single. On the prowl for some new dick,” Kevin laughed, as he put Louis down on the couch.

“ _Kevin!_ ” Betty gasped and slapped his shoulder.

“Or vagina! _Geez_ , violence was not necessary,” Kevin frowned, and rubbed his shoulder.

**Archie: Hey! Archie Andrews, designated driver is here.**

“Archie and Veronica are here,” Betty sighed, preparing herself to freeze until they got to the club. “I literally spent twenty minutes digging around my drawers for Polly’s ID.”

“And I seriously cannot believe that you stole your sister’s ID two years ago so that you could get into clubs,” Kevin said, walking towards their door. “Dark Betty strikes again.”

Archie had decided to drive down to New York City this time, finally feeling comfortable enough to deal with the traffic. He had a red sedan, a car he had since they were juniors in high school. Veronica was sitting in the passenger seat, and an unknown woman was in the backseat. Neither Kevin nor Betty recognized her as Archie rolled down Veronica’s window.

“Kevin!” Veronica practically squealed, elated to see him.

“Veronica! It’s been too long,” Kevin smiled, reaching through the open window to hug her.

“Get in the car!” she smiled. “I brought my roommate Josie with us, I hope you guys don’t mind.”

“Of course not!” Kevin smiled, as Betty got into the car. She slid into the middle seat next to Josie, followed by Kevin who squeezed in after.

“Hey! Like she said, I’m Josie,” Josie smiled, extending her hand to shake Betty’s. “You must be Betty, I’ve heard _a lot_ about you from Veronica.”

“You have?” Betty squeaked, as she shook Josie’s hand. She was very pretty, with brown curly hair and exceptional smoky eyeshadow.

“Oh my god, you are absolutely stunning,” Josie gasped. “Don’t you think she looks good Veronica?”

Betty caught the glare Veronica flashed Josie in the rear-view window, but she turned around to look at Betty. Her brown eyes travelled up Betty’s outfit, before smiling sweetly at Josie.

“She does,” Veronica agreed, before turning back in her seat.

“Thank you! You’re really gorgeous too,” Betty said to Josie, as she felt herself blush. What had Veronica told her roommate?

“And you’re Kevin,” Josie smiled, looking past Betty at Kevin. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“All good things I hope,” Kevin smiled back.

“Who’s ready to go clubbing? Because I am. This is the second time I’ve gone since turning 21,” Josie said loudly, though a strange tension was settling in the air of the car.

 --

The club’s music was so loud that it made Betty’s ears pound. She was the first to enter the club, followed closely behind Josie and Veronica. Being that they were three beautiful women, the bouncer let them in with a small glance at their IDs. Kevin and Archie had a little more trouble, with the bouncer stopping them once the three girls passed.

“Hey man, I’m her boyfriend,” Archie protested, motioning to Veronica.

“Yeah, and I’m the blonde one’s boyfriend,” Kevin immediately added, crossing his arms. Betty almost laughed, but nodded in agreement when the bouncer looked at her.

Veronica turned around and glared slightly up at the bouncer, “We have a table with our friends inside.”

There were a few more short exchanges between the bouncer and Veronica, who informed him who she was and who her parents were. She was pulling out all the moves in order to get Kevin and Archie inside. The bouncer finally relented and with a check to their IDs, let them in.

Betty surveyed the club, noticing the people already on the dancefloor. The lights shining down on them made everyone look various shades of purple and blue. Veronica pushed in front of them, looping her arm with Josie.

“Our friends have a table this way,” Veronica said, practically shouting over the music. Betty could barely hear her.

With Kevin at her arm and Archie trailing behind, Betty tried her best to follow Veronica through the packed club. It was already getting warm, and Betty was definitely too sober to enjoy anything at the moment. People were stepping backwards into her, or not moving away when she was trying to squeeze by.

Veronica’s friends were surrounding an illuminated table near the back of the club, all dressed just like her. Wearing expensive clothes that they probably didn’t pay for themselves. All of them were ridiculously attractive too, their smiles shined brightly as they recognized Josie and Veronica. Betty soon became shy as she looked at each of them, noticing the guy with the pink hair and the tattoo sleeves winked in her direction.

“Betty Cooper? I did not expect someone like you to be in a place like this.”

 _Cheryl Blossom_? Betty was almost as surprised as Cheryl was. Cheryl went to school Washington DC, why was she so far north? Yet here she was, sitting next to the guy with the pink hair. She swirled the orange colored drink in her hand, but gave her a smile nonetheless. Veronica was friends with Cheryl?

“Uh, yeah,” Betty said, stepping closer to Archie.

“Oh… I didn’t realize that you and Archie finally started dating,” Cheryl said, a smile teasing her lips as she sipped her drink.

“Oh no actually-,” Betty began to say.

“He’s _my_ boyfriend,” Veronica cut her off, and pulled Archie towards her. Archie was ripped away from Betty, leaving her standing alone.

“Oh, and you’re Josie’s roommate,” Cheryl said, looking at Veronica as her smile faded. Well, Veronica and Cheryl were clearly not friends. “Veronica?”

“Yeah and you must be Cheryl, Josie has said so much about you,” Veronica smiled curtly, before dragging Archie towards the bar. “Come on babe, let’s go get drinks.”

“Want some shots guys?” the pink-haired guy asked both Betty and Kevin. “I would’ve offered them to the other two if they didn’t run away so fast.”

Kevin reached for a shot and handed one to Betty, “Well cheers to hopefully a good night.”

“I’m going to need about three more of these before we start dancing,” Betty sighed, clinking their shot glasses together.

Kevin smiled at her before they both downed their shot simultaneously, “You’re such a light weight so we’ll see how that goes.”

It was true, Betty was a light weight. It wasn’t because she didn’t get out enough, she just was one. Three shots after the first shot, she was feeling good. She pulled Kevin towards the dance floor, immediately wanting to let loose and be _away_ from Veronica.

“We’re going to find you someone to dance with,” Kevin laughed, as they entered the crowd of dancers. “Betty Cooper is newly single and ready to find someone new.”

“No Kevin! I want to dance with you!” Betty shouted over the music, turning around to face Kevin. “I literally cannot deal with watching Archie feeling up Veronica while sober, so this is nice.”

The bass of the music seemed to overpower everything, and Betty soon found the rhythm to match her dancing to.

Kevin gave her a confused look as he began to dance, “Do you still like her?”  

“Who cares what I feel? I’m going to have the time of my life right now!”

 --

Veronica watched Betty and Kevin from the table, arms and legs crossed as she sat on the plush seats. Archie wasn’t much of a dancer, and was too busy talking to her pink-haired friend Hunter to notice that Veronica did not look like she was having fun. Veronica had one drink, but still felt extremely sober. She felt obligated to stay that way as Betty was well passed tipsy. Betty’s dance movements were loose, and Veronica had never seen her smile and laugh as much as she was right now.

Veronica couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw someone emerge from the crowd and dance towards Betty. A muscular, curly haired, frat boy. He looked like his name was something dumb like Troy, and he had taken a fixation to Betty. As fixated as Veronica was with Betty right now. He began to move behind her, and placed a hand on her waist. Veronica watched as Betty turned around to see who was trying to dance with her, smiling up at him as she stepped back into him.

Veronica quickly looked away when he grabbed both of Betty’s hips firmly, feeling an angry heat throughout her whole body. She clenched her glass of ice water tightly, unable to watch them grind.

“So, your friend Betty goes to Columbia?” Hunter asked, giving Veronica a distraction. “She’s smart, huh?”

“Very smart,” Archie nodded. “As in she’s had a 4.0 since middle school.”

Hunter nodded, “Was that her boyfriend that she came in with?”

“No, that’s Kevin,” Veronica said, shaking her head. “He’s not interested in women.”

“She’s single?” Hunter asked.

Archie began to laugh as he looked at the dancefloor, “She is. But, it looks like someone may have beat you to it.”

Veronica and Hunter turned to look back at the dancefloor, and Veronica’s mouth dropped open in shock. Betty and whoever this _fuck boy_ was were making out on the dancefloor. In a room where everything was purple, Veronica was seeing red. She watched their sloppy kisses, watched “Troy” shoving his tongue in Betty’s mouth hastily.

She stood up, almost ready to walk out of the club and take a cab home. Something made her stop her from doing so, once she saw “Troy’s” hands travel up Betty’s waist and roughly grab Betty’s chest. Betty broke their kiss and grabbed his hands, trying to pull them away from her. He was adamant though, and the second she saw Betty shake her head, Veronica jumped into action. Betty needed help, and Veronica was going to rescue her. How could she not? Someone else was touching _her_ Betty Cooper.

Veronica didn’t tear her eyes away from them as she walked towards them, watching as “Troy” tried to lean towards Betty’s neck to kiss her. Veronica didn’t even try to fit in by dancing and shoved people who were in her way as she entered the crowd of dancers. Betty stepped back away from him, and Veronica could hear her.

“Noooooo, stop,” Betty slurred, as “Troy” took a step forward. “Let go of me.”

Veronica was almost to _her_ Betty. No one would ever attempt to get Betty Cooper while Veronica was around. She was going to make sure of it.

“Come on, you’re fine,” he responded, rolling his eyes.

“Hey _dick wad_ ,” Veronica hissed, finally reaching Betty. “Step the fuck off.”

“Well hello there, why don’t you join us gorgeous?” he slurred back, clearly as drunk as Betty.

Veronica pushed “Troy” back with one hand in order to step between him and the blonde. She felt Betty pressed to her back, and smelt the alcohol from her breath in her nose.

“Fuck off before I shove my fingers in your eyes,” Veronica snapped, reaching behind her to grab Betty’s hand.

“Didn’t realize you had a possessive cock-blocking best friend,” he shouted towards Betty, before looking at Veronica. “You in love with her or something? Let the girl have some fun.”

Veronica was caught off guard by what he said, _you in love with her or something?_ It rung in her head.

“Oh, she’s going to have fun. Just not with you,” Veronica glared, feeling pride as he visibly gulped. “Now fuck off, Troy.”

“My name’s Adam!”

“Whatever, I don’t care,” Veronica huffed, pulling Betty by the wrist away from Adam.

 --

The women’s bathroom was fairly empty, and Veronica could still hear the pounding of the bass through the walls. Betty was stumbling behind her, laughing as if nothing happened. Veronica wasn’t sure what she was laughing at, but anger still coursed through her veins.

“Sit,” Veronica said, motioning to the counter of the sinks. Veronica walked towards the paper towel dispenser, watching Betty stumble as she tried to hop up onto the counter.

“Woah, I almost just fell,” Betty slurred, immediately breaking out into laughter.

Veronica couldn’t help it but laugh a little bit too, as she wet the paper towels in the sink, “You’re so drunk. You need to sober up.”

Betty couldn’t even focus on Veronica’s face and she swayed slightly from where she sat on the counter. A woman who walked out of a stall asked Veronica if Betty was ok, a look of concern on her face as Veronica patted Betty’s forehead with the wet paper towels.

“She’ll be ok, I’m going to get her home after she’s a little better,” Veronica smiled, which was the truth. She was glad she stayed sober, Betty needed her.

“Thank you,” Betty slurred, drawing out the ‘you’ for longer than it needed.

Veronica continued to pat Betty’s forehead and temples, the anger leaving her as Betty giggled at absolutely nothing.

“Wow, he really got you,” Veronica mumbled, looking at the red bite marks on Betty’s bottom lip.

Betty didn’t seem to hear her, and unexpectedly leaned forward to kiss her.

“ _Woah!_ What are you doing?” Veronica gasped, stepping back quickly as soon as she registered what happened.

“I like kissing you the best,” Betty said simply. “You’re not rough with me.”

Veronica didn’t move, her mouth slightly open.

“Betty, I’m dating Archie. You yourself said we can’t do this to him,” Veronica said, shaking her head.

“ _Fuck Archie_ ,” Betty slurred, shaking her head and frowning. “I just want to kiss you.”

Veronica laughed, and threw out the paper towel. “Come on, sweetheart. I’m going to take you home.”

She extended her hand to Betty, as if she was escorting a princess to her royal horse drawn carriage. Betty took her hand gratefully, and had to steady herself once both feet were on the ground. Veronica laughed, and wrapped an arm around Betty’s waist to stabilize her.

“How long have we been here?” Betty asked.

“An hour, maybe less,” Veronica shrugged, as she led Betty towards their table. “You need to learn how to pace yourself.”

“Sorry,” Betty hiccupped.

“Archie, Betty is drunk as fuck. I’m going to bring her back to my apartment and let her sleep on the couch,” Veronica said, as Archie looked up at them. “She’s definitely not going to make it back to her place.”

Archie frowned, “Do you want me to get the car? I can come with you.”

“No, don’t,” Veronica said, waving him off. “Josie and Kevin still need a ride. Trust me, I’ll take care of her. Stay here, have fun.”

“If you’re sure,” Archie sighed. “Keep her safe.”

“I just saved her from that guy, no one’s going to touch her.”

 --

The back of the Uber was dark, the only light that it offered was the street lamps from outside. She felt Betty shiver slightly and lean her head on Veronica’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Ronnie,” Betty sighed. “That was definitely not one of my favorite club experiences.”

Veronica smiled, looking straight ahead as she put a hand on Betty’s thigh. “Couldn’t let someone touch you like that. Especially without your consent.”

“Well, the only person I want to touch me like that is you,” Betty admitted, sighing. “I’m tired.”

It was funny to see Betty say something like that and seem to immediately forget she said it. She definitely had no filter, but she also didn’t seem to realize anything she was saying either.

They were silent for a few more minutes as Veronica inhaled Betty’s perfume and stroked her thumb on her bare thigh. She could hear Betty’s breathing and the soft music of the radio playing from the front, the occasional blaring of a horn from a car interrupted their silence. Betty nuzzled her nose on the side of Veronica’s neck and Veronica turned to look down at her.

Betty’s green eyes were illuminated by the occasional streetlight, giving them a yellow glow. “Can I kiss you?”

“Betty,” Veronica sighed. “Don’t you remember what I said in the bathroom? And you’re drunk.”

“Please?” Betty asked again, barely above a whisper.

Veronica sighed, and stared down at Betty’s eyes. Her gaze fell to Betty’s lips, listening to the sound of some jazz song. Veronica continued to look at Betty, a mere five inches away from her face.

She let Betty lean in to kiss her despite it being wrong, because she didn’t know if or when she’d ever kiss Betty again. The kiss was soft yet firm, both knowing each other’s lips too well. There was no hesitation, but they kissed slowly as they took in the taste and feeling. Veronica placed a hand behind Betty’s ear, cupping her head as she soothed the bite marks on Betty’s bottom lip with her tongue. Veronica tasted the alcohol in the kiss, felt her head spin slightly as Betty reached for her waist to pull her flush against her.

The blonde lifted her head off of Veronica’s shoulder, kissing Veronica’s cheek before kissing her lips slowly again. Veronica’s bottom lip trembled, tears stung at her eyes. Why did it have to be this complicated? Betty was a treasure, a woman who she wanted to spoil, just like she did when they were teens. Her laugh always made Veronica’s heart twist, hoping she was the reason for the laughter. Veronica wanted to see Betty’s green eyes in her own children, despite never really thinking about wanting children.

She felt Betty smile on her lips, pushing her back into the seat. Veronica felt the tears leak down her face, holding off a small sob. She rarely cried, she was never someone who cried. She always saw herself as a tough bitch, but kissing Betty made her feel so vulnerable. Veronica had never felt this before with anyone else, the consuming feeling that she felt throughout her body…she couldn’t quite pin it.

“Alright, ladies,” the Uber driver said, minutes later. The two women broke from their kiss. “Your destination has arrived…enjoy the rest of your night.”

Veronica leaned over and opened the door, wiping her eyes to rid her cheeks of the tears that had rolled down her face.

“You too, happy holidays,” she heard Betty say behind her. Veronica hurriedly walked to her front door and fumbled with her keys. Her head was swimming with a multitude of emotions, she regretted ever DMing Archie Andrews on Instagram. But, if she hadn’t, she would’ve never reconnected with Betty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> betty and veronica's relationship really reminds me of coldplay's music. if you like coldplay you'll know what i mean.
> 
> anyway, would you guys believe me if i told you i was a straight cis male who just enjoyed fictional lesbian couples? i'm being serious. i'll give you my tumblr next chapter.
> 
> also i really need some ideas for my next b & v fic, i love writing angst so hmu with that!


	8. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> veronica likes to cut off betty a lot i don't make the rules

Betty awoke to light shining on her face, lulling her from a dreamless sleep and bringing awareness to her pounding headache. She squeezed her eyes tighter, hoping it would rid the pain she felt. A soft snore made her eyes snap open, making her aware she wasn’t in her bedroom or even on a bed. She was on a couch with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her, her head delicately resting on a soft pillow. Betty sat up, not recognizing where she was. _Had she gone home with someone?_ No, she couldn’t have. She was wearing her clothes from the night before and was sleeping on a damn couch.

She heard the soft snore again and looked over to see Kevin asleep on an air mattress right next to her. He was sleeping on his stomach; his normally perfect hair was pushed hastily back and spread in all directions on the pillow. To Betty, it didn’t look like her roommate was going to wake up anytime soon. But, that still didn’t solve the question on where exactly they were. At least Kevin was a familiar and comforting face, only making the situation a little less scary.

A door creaked open behind her, and Betty whipped around to see Veronica standing in the doorframe. She gave Betty a small smile, and slowly closed the door behind her to not make a sound. Betty noticed how put together she seemed to be, clearly not hungover like Betty was. She was wearing warm looking pajamas, her face makeup free to show off her flawless skin and natural beauty.

“Looks like we’re the first ones awake,” Veronica whispered, her smile widening slightly as she walked towards Betty.

“I guess so,” Betty sighed, and swung her legs around to sit on the couch properly. “Is this your apartment?”

“Yeah, Josie and I share it,” Veronica said casually, moving to sit next to Betty on the couch. “Do you not remember the tour I gave you last night?”

Betty blushed and looked down at her hands, “I barely even remember last night. Like bits of it... I guess.”

Veronica didn’t laugh, instead she gave Betty a curious look, “Huh…well what do you remember?”

“Getting _really_ drunk,” Betty chuckled, and rubbed her temples. “I have a really bad hangover. Were you sober enough to remember everything?”

“Yeah, I didn’t really drink anything,” Veronica replied curtly. “You got drunk and danced with some douche bag, and when he tried to grab your boobs while you were making out you freaked out.”

“Oh shit,” Betty sighed, covering her head in her hands. She couldn’t help but giggle slightly.

“ _But_ luckily, I seemed to be the only one who noticed this and came to your rescue. He was a little persistent, but we took an Uber back here after,” Veronica said, a smile forming on her face. “You barely let me wipe the makeup off your face before falling asleep on my couch, even though you kept asking to order wings and pizza.”

“I get hungry, what can I say?” Betty smiled. “Thank you for taking care of me, really. I’m sorry for being so cold these past three weeks…it was kind of inexcusable.”

Veronica nodded and looked down at her hands, “Look, there’s something else that happened last night that I really think we need to talk about.”

The door creaked behind them, causing both girls to turn and see Cheryl exiting the other door on the wall. From the looks of the inside, it looked like Josie’s room. Cheryl looked at them curiously, probably wondering what they were talking about.

“Morning bitches,” Cheryl nodded, walking casually towards the fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen.

 _“Are they?”_ Betty mouthed to Veronica silently.

Veronica shook her head and whispered, “ _No she’s like engaged or something to some biker chick from your town_.”

“Huh?” Betty eyebrows furrowed, wondering who she meant. “Wait, _Toni Topaz?”_

Veronica shrugged, “Probably.”

“So, what was it you wanted to tell me?” Betty asked.

Veronica bit her lip, “I think this is a conversation we should have when we’re alone. How about this, I know it’s finals season now but why don’t you and I do something fun next weekend? We’ll talk about it then.”

“Veronica I-,” Betty began to protest, but Veronica cut her off.

“Betty Cooper, accept my friendly invitation and stop trying to push me away because you’re trying to be _noble_ …or whatever it is you think you’re doing,” Veronica huffed.

Betty couldn’t help but smile, “ _Fine,_ but only because I’m going to need a break from studying.”

-

“I’m surprised, Veronica Lodge has shown up _on time_ for something,” Betty spoke up, beaming as she approached Veronica outside the subway station.

“How do you put up with that _disgusting_ transportation?” Veronica asked, ignoring Betty's comment and wrinkling her nose.

Betty shrugged, noticing how Veronica was able to be bundled up and still look extremely fashionable. Her winter pea coat was buttoned up all the way, her neck protected by a royal blue scarf. The fur hat on top of her head covered her ears, and blended in with her almost black hair. To Betty, she still looked a bit cold. Her arms were crossed over her middle, but didn’t make a comment.

“In the over twenty years you’ve lived here, you’ve _never_ taken the subway?” Betty asked, as they fell into step next to each other as they walked towards the restaurant Veronica picked out.

“I never needed to,” Veronica replied. Betty was a bit surprised, but she knew she shouldn’t be. Veronica had grown up with privilege and old money, _of course_ she was above riding the subway. “You look really good Betty, as always.”

“Me? Oh, I’m dressed for warmth more than anything. I’m not wearing anything designer level like you are,” Betty giggled.

“Oh Betty,” Veronica sighed. “When will you learn that it doesn’t take much from you in order for everyone to think you’re the most beautiful thing in the room? How you dress out does me every time, even if I am wearing Kate Spade.”

Betty’s was unsure of what to say, and could only repeat what Veronica said in her head. Veronica got really sweet when she wanted to, and this was one of those times. And every time she said something like that, Betty’s stomach felt warm and fluttery.

“You are _so_ cheesy,” Betty smiled, and hit her hip into Veronica’s side. Veronica lost her balance slightly, and grabbed onto Betty to steady herself. “And to think people called you the ‘rich bitch’ when we were at Lake George.”

The two had stopped walking, and Veronica was staring wide eyed and with her mouth opening at a giggling Betty. Betty was unsure of why Veronica looked so shell shocked, and continued to hold onto her upper arms to balance her.

“Well, you shouldn’t judge someone’s behavior from when they were fifteen,” Veronica responded, once she got her composure back together. “We’re a few blocks away from the Rockefeller tree, do you want to go see it before getting dinner?”

The pair walked side by side quietly along the streets of New York, listening to only the sounds of the city. The sirens of a nearby police car, frustrated drivers honking loudly and swerving between lanes. Even the people were loud, many in groups going out for a night of clubbing. Veronica and Betty kept close to each other, knocking into each other occasionally as they kept their heads down to hide from the cold wind.

Upon arriving at the tree, both looked up in awe at the tall Christmas tree that towered high above everyone. It was wrapped with colorful lights, there must’ve been at least a million. Veronica didn’t go to the Rockefeller tree every year, but when she did it always amazed her. It was also a definite tourist trap, as the area below the tree was filled with people. Also below the tree was an ice rink, but Veronica never bothered waiting since it usually took two hours to skate for twenty minutes.

“I remember when I was little, my parents would always try to take a trip down to see the tree and spend the day in the city,” Betty sighed, as she looked up at the tree. “We stopped after I was like twelve, but I remember it being a good time every year.”

Veronica looked at Betty, who was looking up at the tree. The lights were illuminating her face, and she chewed on her bottom lip slightly.

“That’s actually… really sweet Betty,” Veronica smiled slightly. “Come on, we need to take a selfie. We can be tourist trash like everyone else here right now.”

Veronica reached for Betty’s hand, and Betty allowed for Veronica to wrap her fingers around her palm. They tried their best to maneuver between the crowds, but many families were desperate to take their group Christmas card pictures. To any one of these people in the crowd, they’d see two beautiful women trying to get through everyone. Some wouldn’t even look at the fact they were holding hands, thinking none of it. It wasn’t until they had squeezed their way into the crowd a decent amount, that Veronica turned and put her arm around Betty’s lower back.

“Here, we can use my phone,” she said, pulling her phone out of her coat pocket.

Taking a selfie in front of the Rockefeller Tree meant Veronica pressing her cheek to Betty and not removing her arm from Betty’s lower back. Somewhat stunned by the contact, Betty allowed Veronica to take a few photos of them with the Christmas lights in the background.

“ _Perfect_ ,” Veronica practically purred. “This will look amazing on Instagram.”

-

Meandering through the city with Veronica, the ruler of Manhattan and beyond, was full of giggling and synchronized walking. Veronica had slung her arm into Betty’s, gripping tightly whenever a particularly strong gust of wind whipped through the narrow streets. Veronica wanted to go visit the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, a fifteen-minute walk from Rockefeller Center. Veronica wanted to see how the snow had fallen delicately on the plants and trees, citing that there was rarely a time where New York City looked pretty after it snowed. It was mostly grey slush from the streets and slippery concrete that you could break your tailbone on. Betty had to agree, she sometimes missed the quaint and quiet look of Riverdale after a snowfall.

Veronica was right, there was a certain beauty to the snow surrounding the plants and leafless trees. The snow crunched under the boots, the atmosphere becoming relatively quiet from the snow absorbing the sounds of the city. Betty could hear her own breathing, could feel the sting of the cold on her cheeks. Veronica was leading her through the trails, now holding her hand and guiding her from a step ahead.

Veronica’s constant aura of confidence had suddenly faded, becoming more withdrawn with every step they took. Betty pretended not to notice, not knowing if she should ask the dark-haired girl what was wrong. She paused once they were close to the frozen lake, turning towards Betty with a rather surprised look on her face.

“Betty, I hope you kind of got the idea that we need to talk about something. And don’t tell me right now I’m the only one who feels this way,” Veronica said firmly.

Betty didn’t know how to respond, how to even go about expressing how she was feeling for the girl in front of her. Images of when they were teens flashed through her head, causing Betty to gulp dryly.

“I wasn’t going to…” Betty said, her words coming out quietly. “I just-.”

“Betty, _look at us_ ,” Veronica said, placing two firm hands on her shoulders. “Archie or not, we can’t…we can’t deny what it is that we feel for the other. I know you feel it Betty. I know you feel what I feel for you, you just are stubborn and try to be the better person too much.”

“Veronica, I-,” Betty began, but Veronica quickly cut her off.

“I _love you,_ Betty Cooper,” Veronica admitted, causing Betty’s eyes to widen. “I’ve been in love with you since we were teens running around Lake George. _Screw_ Archie. I can’t keep pretending that I like him even a fraction of as much as I love you.”

“You…you love me?” Betty asked, eyes softening.

“Do you?” Veronica asked, her voice laced with anticipation and nervousness. “Come on Betty, you can’t hide it forever.”

“God, isn’t it obvious? I love you Veronica. You’re my first love and my only love. Not only that, but you were my first kiss…my first time,” Betty smiled, letting out a breathy laugh. “I just…this whole thing is so fucked up. But, you’re right. I think we’re hurting Archie more by pretending to be friends than just telling him.”

“You think we should tell him?” Veronica asked, arms sliding up to rest around Betty’s neck. “And after telling him, what will happen to us?”

“Well, I’m assuming neither of us would want to continue to act as _just friends,_ ” Betty pointed out. “But, I think we should at least wait a little bit and do this right. Start from square one.”

“You mean, go on cheesy dinner dates and buy each other flowers?” Veronica asked, a smile teasing her lips as her fingers played with Betty’s baby hairs on the back of her neck.

“If that’s your idea of doing this right, then yes,” Betty nodded. “You’re right though, God I was so stupid in thinking that pretending we weren’t anything was a good idea. Guess you really can’t hide feelings.”

“Betty… it wasn’t stupid. You were just trying to do the right thing for Archie,” Veronica pointed out, pulling Betty closer as a smile ghosted her lips. “But now, you should be doing the right thing for _you_.”

The smile on Betty’s lips widened as Veronica pulled her close, cold lips finding each other and sliding together. Their lips fit perfectly, as if they were made for the other. Betty felt Veronica cup her cheeks in her hands, while Betty’s hands slid to Veronica’s waist. She held the shorter girl gently, as if she was fine china…but Veronica was probably worth more than china. Flashes of the kiss they had shared in the Uber after the club filled Betty’s mind, remembering the tears on Veronica’s cheeks. Veronica tilted her head to the side, kissing Betty again with more passion. Betty could feel the love in her kiss, but another feeling was churning in the pit of her stomach.

Betty broke their kiss suddenly, “What if Archie _hates_ me and never talks to me again?”

“Betty, you’ve been friends with Archie since you guys were kids. I’m sure he’ll understand once you explain everything to him,” Veronica said, her voice reassuring and soft.

“You really think so?” Betty asked.

“I know so.”

-

 _“Wow Betty,”_ Archie huffed angrily, his eyebrows furrowing as he held onto his phone. Unfortunately, FaceTiming was the only way to talk to him, as she couldn’t drop everything and go to see him in Boston. She had just rambled to Archie for ten minutes over the events she had shared with Veronica, not leaving out how they had hooked up not long after their reunion dinner. “ _You know, all these years I considered you my best friend and you just backstab me like that?”_

“ _Backstab_? Archie, I would never backstab you!” Betty gasped, panic coursing through her veins.

“ _Look, I get you and Veronica have history…but I thought your morals were better than that. Sleeping with her while she and I were together and cheating on Jughead nonetheless_?” Archie snapped. “ _Honestly Betty, I hope you enjoy Veronica. I really do. I really did like her. But, after this I cannot be friends with you. Don’t talk to me again.”_

Archie ended their call abruptly, leaving Betty to sit on her couch with only Kevin and their cat to comfort her. Now she had to explain the whole story over again to a confused looking Kevin. Great. Just great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i'm finally back to finishing this fic since it NEEDS TO BE FINISHED. there's only one chapter left and the epilogue, so it's almostttt done. 
> 
> sorry for the wait :)  
> -shiloh (tumblr: shilohwrites)


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